{"id":5221,"date":"2017-12-15T07:00:23","date_gmt":"2017-12-15T12:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/?p=5221"},"modified":"2018-10-09T17:16:31","modified_gmt":"2018-10-09T21:16:31","slug":"365158-wasting-time-saving-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/365158-wasting-time-saving-time\/","title":{"rendered":"365+#158:\u00a0Wasting Time\/Saving Time"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Time-clock-e1411841029395.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-2426\" src=\"http:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Time-clock-e1411841029395.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"107\" height=\"106\" \/><\/a>Living lightly is not only a matter of reducing material possessions but also not crowding my time with trivia. By virtue of my personality, I enjoy the challenge of saving time. Sometimes this means doing things faster or multitasking. Of course there are pros and cons to speed and efficiency. It takes time\u00a0to play, pray, and nurture relationships but appreciating people, beauty, and life are important. It&#8217;s tricky to find a good balance. As we prepare for Christmas gatherings, may we use our time well, saving time for relationships is not wasteful.<\/p>\n<p>My own family dug into this challenge of saving vs wasting time at our December family conference call. I asked, \u201cWhat practices save you time and what practices waste your time?\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Daughter: <\/strong><u>Waste <\/u>\u2013 researching things to buy on the internet.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Me<\/strong>: <u>Waste<\/u> \u2013 Facebook, waiting (in lines or for tech support), looking for lost stuff, shopping, computer glitches). <u>Save<\/u> \u2013 multitasking (organize my files, GPS, googling information)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Husband:<\/strong> <u>Waste<\/u> \u2013 napping, BUT <u>Save<\/u> \u2013 getting up early because I can nap during the day<\/li>\n<li><strong>Son #3<\/strong>: <u>Waste<\/u> \u2013 video games. <u>Save<\/u> \u2013 skipping breakfast<\/li>\n<li><strong>Son #1<\/strong>: <u>Save<\/u> \u2013 buying groceries online. <u>Waste<\/u> \u2013 when online vendor makes a mistake<\/li>\n<li><strong>Son #2<\/strong>: <u>Save<\/u> \u2013 playing video games (by interspersing something that is relaxing with doing work, I&#8217;m more efficient at my work, which saves me time in the long run.) <u>Waste<\/u> \u2013 sleep. I hate sleeping. It wastes too much of each day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This conversation heightened my awareness of time wasters\/savers that occurred during the next 2 weeks. For example:<br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Days-365159-soy-nut-center.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-5231\" src=\"http:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Days-365159-soy-nut-center.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"115\" height=\"114\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Days-365159-soy-nut-center.jpg 2975w, https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Days-365159-soy-nut-center-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Days-365159-soy-nut-center-300x297.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Days-365159-soy-nut-center-768x762.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Days-365159-soy-nut-center-1024x1015.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 115px) 100vw, 115px\" \/><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-5232\" src=\"http:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Days-365159-soy-nut-plate-destroyed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"118\" height=\"114\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Days-365159-soy-nut-plate-destroyed.jpg 3091w, https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Days-365159-soy-nut-plate-destroyed-300x290.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Days-365159-soy-nut-plate-destroyed-768x743.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Days-365159-soy-nut-plate-destroyed-1024x991.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 118px) 100vw, 118px\" \/>TIME WASTERS<\/strong>\u00a0came in several categories:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Stupid Mistakes<\/span> \u2013 I didn\u2019t realize that putting soybeans in a plastic container in the microwave for 15 minutes would burn the soybeans and melt the plastic. <em>Click to enlarge photos<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Unavoidable delays<\/span> \u2013 Booking a trip to India took about 20 minutes of human contact and 2+ hours of intermittent time on hold. It\u2019s a long story. <strong>\ud83d\ude41<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Unproductive time<\/span><br \/>\n\u2013 Accidents. My car was rear-ended. It wasn\u2019t my fault but it still took a lot of time to deal with insurance companies and the repair shop. I hadn\u2019t scheduled an accident into my week.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Days-365+69e-mattress.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-3126\" src=\"http:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/Days-365+69e-mattress.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"122\" height=\"72\" \/><\/a>\u2013 Researching purchases: I needed new fitted sheets for my twin mattresses plus I wanted a contour rug to fit around our toilet. We have very usable but older twin mattresses, <em>but<\/em>,\u00a0 manufacturers have gone to thicker mattresses and thus deep pocket sheets. Also our 30 year old toilet base is too large for the contour toilet rugs. After spending about 5 hours visiting stores and searching online I came up smarter but empty handed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>TIME SAVERS:<a href=\"http:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Days-365-101-Landline-cropped.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-4118\" src=\"http:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Days-365-101-Landline-cropped.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"129\" height=\"130\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Days-365-101-Landline-cropped.jpg 1464w, https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Days-365-101-Landline-cropped-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Days-365-101-Landline-cropped-298x300.jpg 298w, https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Days-365-101-Landline-cropped-1018x1024.jpg 1018w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 129px) 100vw, 129px\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Reduce phone calls<\/span>: The <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.donotcall.gov\/register\/Reg.aspx\">National Do Not Call Registry<\/a><\/span> blocks many calls but does not apply to charities, political calls, and surveys. To block other landline calls just wait for the dial tone, <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=1160+block+calls&amp;oq=1160&amp;aqs=chrome.4.69i57j0l2j69i59j35i39j0.6966j0j7&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8\">Dial 1160<\/a><\/span>, and follow the instructions.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Reduce email<\/span>: Since I sign a lot of online petitions, I also get on too many political email lists. Gmail conveniently puts these in the Promotional tab but too quickly that can add up to 1000 emails. I periodically unsubscribe to all but the most vital ones to me.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Days-365-+-Facebook-e1375203783423.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-1874\" src=\"http:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Days-365-+-Facebook-e1375203783423.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" \/><\/a><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Reduce Facebook posts<\/span>: I like to keep abreast of family, friends, and causes on Facebook, but it can become a time hog. I block all ads and recipes. I also use <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"http:\/\/socialfixer.com\/\">Social Fixer<\/a><\/span> to filter phrases like Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas, Mother\u2019s Day.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Multi-tasking<\/span>: Use phone hold time to check emails and Facebook Use exercise and walking time to listen to podcasts or radio. Use TV time to fold laundry. Use time waiting in lines to pray for the people around me or meditate rather than fuming.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>LESSONS LEARNED<\/strong>:<br \/>\n1. The old maxim, \u201c<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Haste makes waste<\/span>\u201d is true.<br \/>\n2. Since I can\u2019t control the world or avoid all accidents, cultivate <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">patience and perspective<\/span>.<br \/>\n3. Sometimes saving time isn\u2019t worth it. Make time to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">read, think, laugh, exercise, and pray<\/span>.<br \/>\n4. Slow down enough to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">be mindful<\/span> of the people and places around me.<br \/>\n5. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Don\u2019t lose stuff.<\/span> Easier said than done. Having less stuff makes what I do have easier to keep track of. Organizing stuff takes time but makes it easier to find later. Being conscious of my movements can help, but who is always totally present to the moment? Bottom line: <em><strong>Chill!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Living lightly is not only a matter of reducing material possessions but also not crowding my time with trivia. By virtue of my personality, I enjoy the challenge of saving time. Sometimes this means doing things faster or multitasking. Of course there are pros and cons to speed and efficiency. It takes time\u00a0to play, pray, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[29,17,49],"class_list":["post-5221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-beyond-stuff","tag-intangibles","tag-musings","tag-time"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5221"}],"version-history":[{"count":33,"href":"https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5221\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5264,"href":"https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5221\/revisions\/5264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.susanvogt.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}