Wasted Days
Yesterday, I wasted my time.
I had been in meetings the entire day, not able to make any phone calls, send any emails and do anything that was conducive to my business. I got quite frustrated with my day and was annoyed at how everyone else was absorbing my time. I had a conference call to particpate in late that afternoon, after the kids were home from school, and before I had to pick up my son from daycare. Things were looking bleak for me.
I got the kids situated, made the daycare run and was back at my computer just in time for the conference call to begin. All set. The kids were occupied (translated: fighting), had eaten dinner and I was sitting on ready for the conference call to begin that was to last 90 minutes. The call was going smoothly, everyone was participating and there were things getting ironed out. The call had lasted roughly about 55 minutes with about 35 more minutes to go. Then I got a phone call from a dear friend who asked if I could do her a huge favor. Huge. She was stuck in traffic and couldn’t get to her kids to pick them up from their after school care. She wanted to know…you guessed it. Could I pick them up for her? What was I to say? I said yes.
So not only did I have to leave the conference call early, drop off in the middle of a discussion (they had to be picked up by 6 and it was 10 til 6 then), but I also forfeited my compensation for the conference call. Aaggh! So I felt like my whole day was wasted. Yes, I helped a friend, yes I made someone’s else’s day but I feel that I ruined mine.
As a work-from-homer, what is an example of a wasted day that you’ve had? Anyone ever had one? Do you ever feel as if you’ve wasted time? Ever had a day when you felt as if you got NOTHING done but you have the fatigue scars to show for it?
I probably won’t let another day like yesterday happen again because I’ll be better prepared. Emergencies do happen but there are ways to even prepare for those. If I had to do yesterday all over again, this is what I would do differently:
- Schedule the meetings/conference calls that were earlier in the day in 30 minute blocks instead of hour long blocks. That way, I have time to do other work in between telephone calls and be productive.
- Schedule the conference calls before 3:00 p.m. when school lets out. This only works if you are in control of the call or if you’re the moderator. If not, you have to just go along with the group. If you can’t avoid that and the kids are around, make it clear that you may have to drop out of the call after, say, 30 minutes and perhaps pick back up the last 30 minutes.
- Let people know who call for favors that you ARE working and that you will help them IF you can. No need to be rude but be firm in letting them know that you’re at work too. Stuck in traffic is no fun, but neither is losing money for dropped conference calls!
Share with us any experiences you’ve had with wasted days. Let me hear you whine!
Tags: business-women, businesswomen, conference-calls, moderators, wasted-timeRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Business Success, Scheduling & Organizing
4 opinions for Wasted Days
Miki
Nov 29, 2007 at 1:12 am
Bridget, Although it was a predecessor who wrote the post about wasted time I wanted to say that I think that your actions show that you really do have your priorities very straight, especially when it comes to your friend.
We live in a world where kids are extremely vulnerable. I’m sure that there is no amount of money that would compensate if you hadn’t left the conference when you did to pick them up and somehting had happened; plus, I’m sure your friend would do the smae for you.
You don’t say much about the calls that ate your day, but if they involved people and those people needed what you could supply then they, too, were the right priority.
To my way of thinking nothing takes precedence over people. Sure, sometimes it’s not business, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve your attention.
Think about the human costs if you hadn’t taken those calls vs. the actual business cost. Ask yourself how you want to be remembered and I think you’ll see that in spite of the frustration you had a pretty good day:)
gp
Nov 30, 2007 at 9:56 pm
when you put your heart in it .. it’ll take you anywhere.. I have such a hard time with definining “wasted” time…but i’m learning that ultimately it’s not what you take when you leave this world behind… it’s what you leave behind you when you go
gp in montana
Jennifer
Dec 2, 2007 at 9:15 am
I will one up your day with a wasted week. Someone tried to break into my house last weekend and that coupled with some other stuff made me feel so out of sorts that I wasted a lot of time this last week. I am playing catch up which is so not fun. I have had wasted days though too. Sometimes I get so into looking up a topic that I forget the time. That always makes me mad in retrospect.
Bridget Wright
Dec 4, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Thanks to all of you for your comments, they really made me think. I don’t want to have wasted days, but I do want to be productive and disciplined in my work-from-home life. I think some of these strategies would do well to be implemented.
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: