A recent Gallup poll reveals that U.S. workers say they waste about an hour at work each day.
That got me thinking about how much time I waste every day. So I decided to keep a minute-by-minute log of one of my work days.
Now, it should be noted that this was one of my rare, “work from home” days. I wasn’t traveling; I wasn’t doing consulting; I wasn’t teaching a seminar; and I wasn’t being Mr. Mom with my son.
Those are more typical days for me. On this day, the day I decided to monitor, I was just working from the home office. So here we go . . .
4:13 a.m.: I wake with a start—and with an idea for a column for ragan.com. I go to my office (which is the the dining room table; Cindy has taken over the actual office in the apartment, under the theory that she actually uses it to work) turn on the computer, and write down my idea. I then look at it for five minutes, and decide it’s not a very good idea after all. I put it in the file of “possible ideas for stories and columns.” There are now 427 ideas in there that I’ll never write about.
4:23: I make a pot of tea and eat an orange. I haven’t had a margarita in two weeks. I contemplate going to El Jardin’s for lunch.
4:47: I hear Cindy in the shower, getting ready to go to Topeka, Kansas on business.
4:49: I try to get involved in Cindy’s shower. I am rebuffed. Heartily.
5:10: I start to answer the 87 e-mails that are in my “answer immediately” e-mail folder. Those e-mails have been in there since November. It is February. There are also about another 50 unanswered e-mails in my regular e-mail in-box.
5:13: I hear Cindy out of the shower and getting dressed. I try to get involved in that process. I am rebuffed again. Fun Cindy has switched to Professional Cindy, and I am alone. Back to e-mail.
5:30: Cindy leaves for Topeka. It’s me and the cats. Back to e-mail.
5:52: I hate e-mail. But not as much as I hate talking on the phone. I seriously contemplate El Jardin’s for an early lunch. I miss Cindy.
6:10: I am bored. I go to www.dartagnan.com, the gourmet food site, and order two quarts of duck fat, because I plan on making my own duck confit this week. There are so many wonderful things at dartagnan—rabbit and venison and pheasant and duck terrines and pates and sausages. Other men, when their wives leave on business, go to porn sites. I go to food sites.
7:15: I pull myself off dartagnan.com to go to Cubs.com, to see the latest Spring Training news.
7:30: Back to e-mail. I feel like that Sissypuss guy pushing the rock up the hill again and again.
8:15: I go to www.epicurious.com and look for recipes for duck confit. There are so many recipes for duck that I get sucked into reading all of them.
8:47: I decide that if I’m going to make duck confit from scratch, I might as well learn from the master, so I go in the kitchen and get my Julia Child/Jacque Pepin cooking bible, and copy down all the ingredients. I wonder if I should shop before or after El Jardin’s.
9:00: Back to e-mail. Six more messages have come in already today. I answer those right away, because of a New Year’s resolution I made to answer e-mails right away.
9:15: I decide that if I’m going to make duck confit, I might as well double the recipe, and use some of it to make cassoulet. I get the book out again, to get the ingredients.
9:20: I go back to Dartagnan to alter my order.
9:48: I’ve had a speaker cancel his session at the big Social Media conference in Las Vegas. I do some research trying to find a replacement.
10:30: I do an interview for a Ragan Report story. God, I hate the phone. By the time I type up my notes, it is . . . .
11:15: El Jardin’s is open, and I’m ready for lunch. I drink three margaritas, and read the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Reader (our alternative paper), and the New York Times. I do the Tribune’s crossword puzzle. I also debut two new magic tricks for the daughter of one of the El Jardin’s waitresses.
2:00: Nap time
3:10: Time to get up! This would normally be time for my “status meeting” with Cindy, but she’s in Topeka. So I have a status meeting with myself. It is not the same.
3:20: Back in the saddle! 14 more e-mails have come in. I put them in the “answer immediately” folder, because I have more pressing things to do than answer e-mail.
3:41: I work on my Ragan Report story.
4:00: I call someone back about a possible in-house workshop
4:20: I work on my Ragan Report story.
4:45: I go to ragan.com to see if anyone has commented on my stories there. They have not. I decide the Social Media bloom is off the rose, and it’s all a fad.
4:51: I go to this blog, to see if there are any new comments. There are not. I re-read my blog item, to see if it was funny. I spend countless hours a month trying to decide if I’m funny. I almost always decide that I am not.
4:55: I work on my Ragan Report story.
5:00: I feel guilty quitting at 5, since I took a long lunch. But I did start at 5:37, and there is shopping to be done, dinner to be eaten, wine to be drunk, and books to be read.
Tomorrow, I will spend the day with my son, and not work at all.
I don’t think a single minute of either day will have been wasted.
Comments (19)
I always read your posts and I always think they're funny. Just fyi.
Posted by 2chey | February 26, 2008 1:30 PM
Posted on February 26, 2008 13:30
The real question is, what is a "waste" of time?
Posted by Kevin | February 26, 2008 1:39 PM
Posted on February 26, 2008 13:39
I think you're always almost funny too, Steve.
Looking forward to seeing you in Vegas...
Posted by Chris B | February 26, 2008 1:43 PM
Posted on February 26, 2008 13:43
I always think you're funny. Well, almost ;) Just don't always comment because I'm such a wallflower!
Have to say this though: You get up at 4:13?! I hate to break it to you, but that's not normal. (Though the fact that you're up that early and still able to be funny is definitely something you should put on your resume.)
Posted by Robin | February 26, 2008 3:03 PM
Posted on February 26, 2008 15:03
"I hate e-mail. But not as much as I hate talking on the phone."
You've just summed up so much of my life right there.
Posted by Valarie | February 26, 2008 4:56 PM
Posted on February 26, 2008 16:56
What a coincidence! I hate when people don't return my phone calls. Not that it happens very often....
Steve, I had a lot of days like that when I worked on my own, from home. Get up, get the kids off to school, read my e-mail, check my web stats, hey it's getting close to lunch, take my wife for lunch, get back home, work for maybe half an hour and then it's time for the kids to get home from school, maybe I should think about what's for dinner, go shop for dinner, start cooking dinner, can't really cook without a drink, three martinis later it's time to turn it in. Another end to another grueling day.
Posted by Ron Shewchuk | February 26, 2008 5:26 PM
Posted on February 26, 2008 17:26
Dear Steve:
1) I cannot think of a single post of yours that didn't make me laugh until I snorted (and as that is an extremely unattractive look on me, there must be a worthwhile reason to allow it especially as I usually read you at work!)
2) You are a brave man! Nothing on earth would get me to (truthfully) do that kind of diary because I know in my heart that I waste WAY more time than you do, and since I just started a brand new job, I can't risk the new boss seeing that kind of slacking off just yet.
3) Man-o-Man! Duck confit, cassoulet! When I'm in Chicago for the CCC in May, can I come to YOUR place for dinner? I'll bring wine! I'll even make it really GOOD wine! Geez Louise - my mouth is still watering.
Posted by Kristen | February 26, 2008 8:47 PM
Posted on February 26, 2008 20:47
Hey Steve...I just spent (notice I'd never say "wasted") about six minutes reading this great blog entry and all seven comments, and I'm quite certain they'll be among the best seven minutes of my day. Lest you think otherwise, you're always funny (and Kristen, I just snorted too...a co-worker even strolled past my office to gawk at me).
Toronto in early May, I see? Shall I get in touch with the fine people at Canoe NOW?!
Posted by Don Lariviere | February 27, 2008 8:11 AM
Posted on February 27, 2008 08:11
Steve, I think what you describe is called "The Creative Process." Had you not done all that important stuff you've detailed above, you would have no creation. So you see, it is totally necessary to skive off in the middle of the day to have three strong drinks at El Jardin. It is Part of The Creative Process. (We corp writers have to take a cue from our bretheren, the tortured artists.) - Amy
Posted by Amy | February 27, 2008 9:25 AM
Posted on February 27, 2008 09:25
Oh Steve...
I'm not even going to address the "I'm not funny" comment because it's ridiculous. I also refuse to address the social media is a fad comment because that's ridiculous as well.
Wasting time is in the eye of the beholder. People too often subscribe to the notion that the "8-hour work day" is the end all be all. Says who? And whoever they are, why didn't they decide on 6? or 7? And who says those hours of productivity must all be in a row? Why is the work day start time 8 and finish time 5? Ultimately there are deadlines to be met in every job, and if you're successfully meeting those deadlines, does it really matter that it took you 60 minutes to complete it while the other 7 were spent shopping for and planning your fabulous duck confit?
I'm sure there are lots of other days that you could find where you either spend your time writing, speaking, inspiring others and yourself and if you translate those hours into the hours that you've produced for, through and with other people, you've probably put in a 16 hour day.
You've not ever been someone who lives by other's standards...why start now. Time, schmime.
Posted by Rebecca (the IT Goddess) | February 27, 2008 9:41 AM
Posted on February 27, 2008 09:41
Call me strange...but I kept reading trying to find out if YOU ever took a shower. Guess not, but maybe that's what those "work at home" days are about.
Seriously...no need to doubt your own sense of humor. It's what keeps me going.
Posted by Sheila | February 27, 2008 10:44 AM
Posted on February 27, 2008 10:44
Hey, thanks everybody! So many nice compliments! Now it looks like I was fishing for them . . . I wasn't, but it's nice to get them anwyay. I'm just a seething mass of insecurities, it turns out.
Ron, I agree: Something about cooking without a glass of wine or a cocktail sucks some of the fun out of it.
Sheila: No showers on work at home days. That's the beauty of them. Kristin: I would LOVE to have you over for dinner. Cindy and I like nothing more than hosting multiple course dinners with different wines for each course.
But CCC is a zoo. There will be no time for ANYTHING . . . other than cocktails in the hotel bar, and I hope we have lots of those.
Don: Let me figure out when I'm getting to Toronto . . . if we can swing Canoe, I would love it. I love that restaurant.
Steve C.
Posted by Steve C. | February 27, 2008 4:17 PM
Posted on February 27, 2008 16:17
Cindy doesn't show much concern for employee morale there at Crescenzo Communications, does she?
See you in D.C. next month, Steve. You'll be funny, as always. And with any luck, we'll have a belt or two in the hotel bar afterwards, where the really funny stories get told.
Fair warning: I'll be packing my band's newest CD, which I'll slip into your bag after your third martini when you're defenseless.
Greg
Posted by Greg Marsh | February 27, 2008 4:53 PM
Posted on February 27, 2008 16:53
Hey, Greg! Glad you're going to DC; Jim and I are really excited about this new seminar. We're tackling everything from measurement and communication planning to execution and social media and face to face.
It's going to be a jammed two days, and we will earn our drinks.
Steve C.
Posted by Steve C. | February 27, 2008 5:14 PM
Posted on February 27, 2008 17:14
Steve, I had a hard time getting past the shower thing. It brought back a "steady stream" of great memories! Woo hoo! (Not with Steve or anybody close to him -- for all you evil thinkers out there.)
By the way, you lucky dog, I'll see you in Chicago in May for Advanced Internal -- got boss buy-in today.
Will
Posted by Will Daniel | February 28, 2008 4:37 PM
Posted on February 28, 2008 16:37
... as 'measuring' time is an artificial construct (I mean ... today is 29 Feb - we only have this day every four years ... what the hell is that all about ... before some pedant tries to explain - I'm NOT INTERESTED!) ... anyway - as I was saying, 'measuring' time is not natural - if you don't measure something you can't really waste it - therefore, the notion of 'wasting time' must also be some kind of artificial construct to oppress the masses ... ergo, I wouldn't lose any sleep - or margarita time - over it ... as far as I'm concerned, if the powers-that-be-of-yore couldn't even figure out how to create a year that could be divided up into equal chunks, they must have been on the margritas themselves!
[PS: message for my employer - I wrote this in my lunch break!]
Posted by Richard Dennison | February 29, 2008 5:56 AM
Posted on February 29, 2008 05:56
Will:
Great news!!! About Chicago, I mean, not your shower memories. Although, that's great news, too. Make sure you find me for a cocktail . . . I'll be all over the place at that thing.
Richard: It sounds as if you are depressed because of the extra day. I am, too. I woke up at 4 a.m. this morning, because I needed to be in Naperville by 6 a.m., when my ex-wife leaves for work and I get my son off to school.
Yet again, I had to brush four inches of snow off my car. For about the 75th time this year. I have had it with winter, I've had it with February, I've had it with the extra God damned day in February, and I've had it with Chicago.
I hate Vegas, because every time I go there for work I end up losing money . . . but I can't wait to get there next week for the Social Media conference, and some sun.
Steve C.
Posted by Steve C. | February 29, 2008 8:53 AM
Posted on February 29, 2008 08:53
Gee, Steve, that sounded like the perfect day to me. (Bummer about the shower rebuff, though.)
As I mentioned in my message last night, the APS contingent is dividing to conquer all the good Ragan stuff. Janie will be joining you at the Social Media confab and I'll see you at the CCC.
Also bummer that there won't be time for a dinner with Kristen because I was going to plead to be allowed to tag along - definitely cocktails, though. Count on it.
Posted by Colleen (the soaring one) | February 29, 2008 1:17 PM
Posted on February 29, 2008 13:17
Speaking of time management, Steve, I asked you a few months back if you could send me a collection of employee publications that you thought were good examples. I want to use them in class next week. You said you would do this when you returned from an out-of-town trip. Are you back in town yet, Bombasticles?
Thanks, my dear friend. These pubs will be great for classroom use.
Les
Posted by Les Potter | March 4, 2008 9:53 AM
Posted on March 4, 2008 09:53