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How People Move Through Their Day

I have noticed that some people seem to have a mastery of time. They can set out with tasks they need to do... for example, go to the bank, swing by the drugstore and pick up a prescription, drive home, change clothes, leave again to make an appointment and be successful in so doing.

Does that describe you?

Or, are you more like me.... this (given the same task list as described):

Go to the bank, swing by the drugstore and see what's new on the sale or seasonal aisle before you even get to the prescription area... maybe decide to get a cart and fill it with a few necessities while you're there. Drive home, unload car, take garbage cans in from side of road and bring in mail... see that the kids left some dirty dishes out and the dogs look hungry, so take care of that... read mail... Then, when changing clothes, decide you hate everything in your closet and only the pants that need ironing will do and proceed to iron them (even though you're now short on time)... Take a phone call... it's someone you know has a question. Heck, maybe you can fit in one or two last minute things, realizing if you fly in your car you'll make your appointment on time. Only the reality is, you don't make appointments on time because you're always 10 minutes late. Sometimes more.

I'm one of those nut jobs who has her car's clock set 10 minute fast. For some reason it still fakes me out and makes me hustle a bit to get where I'm going. I've heard a lot of people do this clock setting thing... it's for people like "us"... who just squeeze too much in.

I saw a segment (20/20 or one of them nighttime shows) that followed around an executive who was always late... a psychologist said that, basically and in so many words, that the guy felt so self-important, he didn't respect other people's time and would rather arrive late and catch up on something, then be early and have to WAIT on someone else. Maybe there's an element of truth there, altho I like to think I'm not selfish, and to the contrary, I just want to get as much done as I can.... just one more thing.

Yesterday, I took Kelly to the doctor for her sinus infection. We had to wait an hour to get into the little room and we had an appointment... we weren't walk-ins. I was absolutely bonkers by the time the hour was up. I kept asking Kelly... "Weren't we here before HIM,? Haven't we been here longer than x or y? How come they get to go into the back room and we're still here?" and she looked at me and said, "Mommy, your eyes are big, your muscles are tense and you are a freak. Just relax and accept it." <--- this from the mouth of a 16 year old babe. I looked around and everyone seemed so content with this bullshit. I was the only freak mad as hell at how much time was lost.

Have you noticed that there are people ALWAYS BIZZY and some who are always available? How's THAT? I remember as a kid ALWAYS feeling like I had not enough time.... my whole life, I have fantasized about "free time".... if I could lay in the sun, or escape to a garden... to dream, to think, to write. These days, any free time comes when I am collapsing and physically incapable of any more... maybe one day a month I just don't get out of bed or talk. I have always had this affliction of a hard crash after many weeks of overscheduling or excessive working. People don't understand it... I find myself "hiding out" as a thief in the night... just trying to rob some time some where.

I was talking with a friend last night, a colleague who is doing dissertation and has similar issues as I.... But for him, he is having money problems and always had money problems.... and we spoke of the "archetypes" we are born under (a theory by Psychologist Carl Jung), which are set at birth or before.... some people have the Midas archetype and make money. their whole lives.. it comes naturally.. some people are born leaders, or teachers, or victims, etc. And we talked about our afflictions or our blessings which have traveled with the either of us all our lives, essentially, a circle of challenges always the same themes. I got to thinking... This TIME thing has been my challenge my whole entire life.

To me, it is a fascinating exploration about the self and others behaviors... how people move through their day. Somewhere in all of this is the cognitive/neuro aspect of time concept, as well as the consideration of core values, as to WHAT is more important? The task, the appt. time, the interruption, etc. We are constantly making choices with our time... and maybe some of us are lazy or march to a different beat and refuse to be defined by someone else's imposition of set times for things.

How do you move through your day?

3 comments:

Brenda said...

i am usually walking out the door at the very last possible moment that won't make me late, but i won't be early either. i will make it on time for the party, but i won't be the first one there. i can't stand waiting for other people so i arrive just in time.
are there enough minutes in the day.... no, but i have learned to appreciate each one of them. i don't want to notice how shiny and bright everything is just before the end of it all. i want to see it now.

Jilly said...

i go nuts if i have to wait more than 30 mins at the dr and i have an appointment. i live in a major metropolitian area and doctors are a dime a dozen, i want customer service for my copay. usually after a very loud "Excuse me, my appointmet was at 10, and it's nearly 10:30, when will i see the doctor today?" they usually get with it. if they get pissy back, be sure to say "excuse me, i don't appreciate your poor ustomer service. I am changing my doctor as of now and want my medical files...." they really get with it then.

my clock in my car is 10 mins fast and it works to keep me in line. having kids makes people LATE. before the kid, i'd be stting on the couch waiting for my guy to get ready, he takes FOREVER. now i get the baby ready, get me ready and then wait on him and have to get the baby ready again a few times before he's ready. if i wait for the baby for the last second to prevent having to do it more than once, he bitches that i take too long and we fight. i've just learned to get her ready and go sit in the car. after i leave the house he gets 1 minutes before i leave without him and he has to take his own car. sometimes i feel like my guy is like having another two kids.

jilly

Anonymous said...

I dont mind wiating at the docors or the dentists , I could be at home cleaning the loo .Usually you have to wait at the docs because the person before you needed more time than the doctor allocated , for all you know he could be telling the person they have inoperable cancer , or something equally horrible or maybe they have depression and need someone to listen to them for an extra five minutes .If you have a late morning appointment and everyone has had an extra 5 mins of time then you can be up to an hour late , such is life.I learned very early in life that the world does not revolve around me , once you find that out life is a lot calmer

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