Pre-Ramble: These lazy days of summer seem an ideal time to address the very important issue of time management.  Fair summer weather beckons us to drop all pretenses of obligation and wile away the hours in a hammock, drift along in a birch bark canoe, or sip fresh-squeezed lemonade on grassy hillside.  Really – what is a chronic over-achieving, goal-oriented, eager-beaver to do?

Melissa Healy (Los Angeles Times, 4-8-09), discusses the underlying forces that govern time and time management including the basic internal clocks that have governed human behavior for millions of years giving us the ability to note the passage of time, wake up and fall asleep, forage for food at regular intervals, etc.  I’m sure she’d have a ready explanation for the many dynamics of time that come into play in the average day. I’m less sure that she’d be able to fathom my personal version of time. I don’t so much “manage” time, as wrangle with it.

In my world, there are several different settings for managing time ranging from lethargic to maniacal. On any given day, I find myself careening erratically across the spectrum, sluggish one minute, amped-up the next. There are moments when time is nearly standing still — in which, coincidentally, I am also standing still — standing in the middle of my kitchen in the middle of the afternoon, pondering a state of randomness and fighting the urge to take a nap. 

There are other times, mostly in the morning or late at night, when I can swirl from task to task, accomplishing several things in a clearly focused, almost choreographed way. While I’m sure Ms. Healy would have some scientifically viable explanation for this flux in energy, and others (my highly efficient and punctual husband) would just as soon attribute it to some psychotic disorder, I prefer to think of it as a higher order level of multi-tasking.

Here’s the thing: Sure, stuff needs to get done, even in the blissful days of summer – those lemons don’t squeeze themselves after all.  Crossing things off lists and knocking down to-dos will always be important, but these accomplishments need to be balanced with a few things that don’t need to “get done” as well. Somewhere along the line you need to take a break from the strategic plans, continuous improvement and timelines and do some serious frittering … poking around … lolly-gagging … drifting … following your bliss … soaking your feet … whatever! 

The Take-Away: In honor of unread paperbacks and untread flip-flops everywhere, I’d like to invite chronic time-managers to fully maximize the concept of “free time.” Now, for a limited time, I am going to provide you, my beloved readers, with your very own shot of Special Reserve Free Time; here’s all you need to do:

1. Set up a meeting with me for the date and time of your choice (preferably at least a week or two out);
2. Enter the information – in ink – into your schedule/calendar;
3. Wait;
4. I will contact you approximately 5 minutes before our scheduled meeting … and CANCEL. 
5. POOF – a huge chunk of  free time has just blown a hole right into the middle of your day!

You can thank me later .

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