Comments on: Wasting my time?

By: Emily

Emily — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:26:30 +0000

Hi Shaun, how you doing? I’d love to be able to bill more than 4 hours but even 4 seems quite a push. Yep, email is terrible for hogging time. The last couple of weeks we’ve been working on quite a few proposals and that seems to take up quite a bit of time – obviously it’s worth doing but it’s time we can’t bill for … maybe we just need to get more efficient at putting them together!

By: Shaun McGuinness

Shaun McGuinness — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:12:40 +0000

I would LOVE to only have to bill 4 hours each day! Seriously though I fully understand what you mean and one of the main culprits which stops me (or used to) is email. I used to respond to email as and when they arrived in my inbox. Stop doing what I was working on and reply.

Now I open my inbox no more than three times each day and frankly it is wonderful:)

So anyone emailing me and expecting a quick (within 1 hour) reply may have a shock. But I have told all my clients about this new systenm and I always guarantee to respond to any phone or email message within one business day – never failed yet;)

By: Emily

Emily — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:13:46 +0000

Hi Nicola

Thanks for your comment. At least working from home I don’t have to worry about office politics, but it’s amazing how much time email can soak up! Sounds like you’re making some good progress with focusing on high value tasks.

Let me know how you get on with setting a time goal. I don’t know whether I’m being a bit too obsessive by doing it, but if it gives me more control over getting paid work done then that must be a good thing.

Cheers, Emily

By: Nicola

Nicola — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 13:48:27 +0000

Hi Emily,

I’ve been trying much the same tack in work recently, by trying to identify and spend more time on tasks that I know my boss would value, rather than being drwan into the day-to-day “busyness”, eg, e-mail, office politics/chit-chat, general admin etc.

It’s been quite difficult, but I feel I’ve had some success and as a result, feel far more motivated than usual.

I haven’t gone quite so far as to set aside a definite amount of hours to aim for, but perhaps this would be useful. Think I might give it a try.

Nicola