I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Ti-i-i-ime is on my side. Yes it is (NOT).

Okay, I've admitted that I'm a freak. Here's some more math done for fun. Everybody who wants to be writer eventually makes the same complaint, "How do you find the time?" You make time. Really. So here's my week for your edification and enjoyment.

Five days, 24 hours a day, total of 120 hours. Sleep, I'm one of those people that needs eight hours, so there's 40 hours gone just sleeping. That leaves us 80 hours to get everything done. Everybody strapped in the toboggan?

55 hours, typical workweek (40 plus 15 overtime)
10 hours, commute (1 hour each way, bad weather add some more)
3 hours, shower, brush teeth, get dress, etc (about 45 minutes each day)
5-15 hours Village Council stuff (that's the second job, $200 a month)
3 hours, errands (getting milk, etc)
3 hours, design work (third job, this is highly variable)
3 hours, email, blogs, friends and contacts (like what I'm doing now)
5 hours, 1 hour each day to have dinner and be with my wife
3-5 hours, minimum reading and writing time (usually reading before bed)
2 hours, chores (cleaning, etc)
3 hours, every other week at a writing group.

Total 90 to 104 hours. So, as you can see, the sleep part of the equation is already compromised by 10 to 24 hours.

So that leaves the weekend to get the major projects done (yard work, carpentry, reorganizing, etc). Plus catching up on sleep. Sleeping late on weekends is practically necessary. This is after quitting Ruritans (a service organization like Rotarians). And you'll notice there is no TV, entertainment (other than reading), or gaming time in there.

And I still get the words out. I expect you could too.

2 comments:

Todd Wheeler said...

As Len Bosack once said:

Bosack: “Sincerity begins at a little over 100 hours a week. You can probably get to 110 on a sustained basis, but it’s hard – you have to get down to eating once a day, showering every other day, and things of that sort to really get your life organized to work 110 hours a week.”

Interviewer: “And the level that follows sincerity? What do we call that?”

Bosack: “Commitment.”

Thanks for your blog. You're posting some great stuff.

Steve Buchheit said...

Thanks, we're trying our best. These days I'm making up time on the weekends.