Retirement has done a number on me. I can’t seem to get things done like even responding to a text and email is even worst. Just scheduling appointments now seems like a lost art. Honestly, this would all be ok except, these things that matter to me. I will not post about Labor Day this year, this week’s theme is Labor Day adjacent.Where do you put in your personal “labor?”
“Something that bugs you more than once a day…” That stood out from a comment last week. My amorphous to do list and inaction paralysis bugs me several times a day. I emphasize this because the follow up will take work, but, it has priority because it bugs me. Do you have anything like that; something that bugs you more than once a day?
Years ago, I did a development class and our first exercise was to clock how much time we spend working. The assignment was simple, use a chess timer app and clock the actual amount of time you are working. If you check your phone, hit the timer, you are not working. If you read the news, stop the timer, you are not working. Lunch breaks, bio breaks, the same, you are not working. You are at work, but, you are not working. The exercise showed the 25 of us, primarily all in tech, we were not working anywhere close to the number of hours we thought. At work yes, working, no. Quick disclaimer, yes, there are jobs were you are “on” the entire time like construction or are on “watch,” like firefighters. However, for me and those in the class, this was not the case. How do you spend your time? How do I spend my time now?
More importantly, am I spending my time on things I want to do and that are meaningful to me?Obviously I somehow manage to write every week. I prepare for and teach yoga three times a week. A simple Google search gave a list of apps that were more geared to project management, team tracking or something one would use to track hours for billing. Here is another example of AI to help with daily life. I consulted Mildred1 (ChatGPT) to see if there is an app that can help me track. Mildred understood what I was asking and gave a more robust list of what I wanted. I just downloaded Atracker, the free version and will use it this week.
I repeat, I’m doing this because this bugs me, I’ve missed emails, text, even concerts I have tickets for. I can’t get books read, or bills paid and there is only so much you can blame on ADHD because you still have to get through life and these things are important to me, so I will track.
This week’s theme is labor. Consider where you spend your time and the accuracy of what you think versus what you do.2
1 I didn’t come up with the name Mildred or Chat GPT, a YouTuber, Tabitha Speaks Politics used it and stuck. Yes, I am afraid yet curious as to what my YouTube hours and yes I know it is hours will be at the end of the week.
2 From Mildred, this is why people over estimate the amount of time they are working daily.
Balancing on Unstable Surfaces 
Well, damn!
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