It seems I’m having some issues lately with time management.  Well, not really issues, but I have started to eliminate things that drive down productivity and up my stress level.  This should be a positive move, right?  I get rid of time wasters, and make the most of the time I have.

First, let me point out –I live in the real world, not some writers idyllic fantasy land.  I am painfully aware we all get the same twenty four hours, every day.  My 24 is planned out for maximum return on the investment.

So first, let’s allot eight hours for sleeping.  I am really cranky if I don’t get my eight hours.  I know some people can get by on seven or even six hours of sleep a night, but not yours truly, I need my eight.  Then there’s eight  hours for working.  Yes, I still go to the day job, and it’s a full eight hours there every day, five days a week. This does not include commute time, which is fifty minutes each way.  That’s 100 minutes , but let’s round up, and say 90 minutes each day for commute time.  Now we’re down to 6.5 hours left in the day.  Assume I spend 30 minutes three times a day eating meals, and if you’ve ever met me you know I like to eat, so another 90 minutes, and we’ve reduced the “free time” to five hours.

One hour goes to walking the dog, and another to chores, such as cooking, cleaning up after a meal and the number of free hours is now down to four.  Let’s not forget, as an aspiring writer, I write every day, so take away another two hours, and we are down to two hours, divided evenly between ringing phones, collecting mail, answering email, keeping in touch with family and friends, and —oh, yes, my personal favorite, relaxing, or working out!?!  I forgot a few things, bathroom time, make up time, shopping, emergencies, and unaccounted for delays and errands.  Trips to the grocery store, the dry cleaners, etc.

So the point of all this is, how about not spamming the email box?

Maybe I should know, and probably would care about the big Zoloft settlement if I had time to take Zoloft, or the inclination.  I also might want to go back to school for that accounting degree I promised myself years ago.  Or I might want to get in the class action lawsuit . . .

. . . wait a minute!  I think there’s a mistake in the math!  I might need the accounting degree after all.  I don’t think I subtracted the last entry and for some reason I have twenty five hours of living and only twenty four hours of day.

Well, there you have it.  Improper editing, or subtraction will get you into big trouble.  Right up there with those spamy emails.