Do any of you use time estimates in planning your day/week/season/whatever? Do you log it in somewhere so that you know how much time it might take to do a task the next time you do it? I'm not really talking about something you might do all the time, like feed the chickens, or milk, but those things that you might forget details about between the time you do it and the next time you get around to doing it again.

I did a little experimenting yesterday. I thought it would take me all afternoon to haul a yard of dirt, unload it, put it in/on the bed I was working on, plus installing some brick terracing to hold the beds in. It actually took about two hours. B/c of that, my motivation to do something similar is higher, knowing that it's "easier" than I thought it would be.

My nephew had to clean his room yesterday. (It was my day to hang out with him.) I thought it would take him an hour. It actually took less than twenty minutes. Again, positive reinforcement, and knowing this might make it easier for him to tackle the project the next time.

It would seem to me that recording how long something takes might be a real benefit to those of us who tend to procrastinate. OTOH, I thought I could prep my winter vegetable beds in one garden today in two hours. However, it took more like four hours! So kind of a bummer I guess, but my planning could possibly be enhanced by noting it somewhere. Then next year, maybe I won't schedule myself to do something lengthy on the same day...i.e.

If we pay attention to days to maturity for vegetables, and temperatures and stuff, it seems like some folks must pay attention to the time it takes to complete tasks. Any of you out there? Tips 'n' tricks to share with us?

(Okay, back out into the sun...)

-- Anonymous, July 14, 2001

Answers

Honestly, Sheepish, all I've been able to figure out at my age (42) is that time keeps getting shorter and shorter, and tasks that I think I will get done quickly, do not!

Since I'm mostly not on any kind of "schedual" and don't work outside the farm (other than riding lessons at other folk's houses, yes, I make "farm calls"!!!), I quit trying to set time scheduals for myself, I just try to do the best I can and live with that. As a former obsessive/complusive neat-freak, I guess I have made great inroads to become more "normal", if that is ever possible!

-- Anonymous, July 14, 2001

Sheepish,

I can't say that I've written things down, but DH and I have noted how long it really takes to make a new 4x4' garden bed, or do chores. It really does help. Just 2 weeks ago we put up a goat stall (having put it off for 3 weeks previous) in the garage. We thought it was going to take all day and be a real drag. How long?? 45 minutes. How long to put up vertical growing supports on a new bed, including mixing 2 cu.ft. of concrete? 10 minutes, no more. So many things are so much easier in retrospect, eh?

-- Anonymous, July 14, 2001

The problem here is that there ae so many tasks running parallel in time that we never devote time to a single project. The rule of thumb we heard of for this situation (which seems to work pretty well) is you estimate how long a task SHOULD take, then double the number, and scale up the time unit. e.g. changing a light bulb should take 20 seconds, so allow 40 minutes to figure out where you moved them to, clear off something to stand on, answer the phone, check e-mail etc. Putting up a fence should take a day, so allow 2 weeks. Building a porch should take 2 weeks, so allow 4 months, etc

-- Anonymous, July 14, 2001

This sounds like a really neat idea but I would get so obsessive about timing things and writing them down that I would never get anything done. Then if I did do it I would put the notebook or whatever someplace where it would be safe and would never find it again. I think I am hopeless!!!

-- Anonymous, July 14, 2001

My style is closest to David's -- although I don't know that I can blame it on the same things. I definitely do not move as fast as other people. Maybe I think about things too much.

-- Anonymous, July 14, 2001

This really reminds me how I used to do things. Time management. Man just watching time really seems to help cram a lot into a day.

Couple of years ago I got Post Polio and now 3 hours is all I can work in one day. Now I time how long I have to rest before I can work! When I finally got used to It it's wonderful! ....Kirk

-- Anonymous, July 15, 2001

I think you're onto something there sheepish. I guess that is the reason I don't do it. We just finished painting the soffits on the house. I thought it might take about 2 or three days. As things turned out it was about 2 and 1/2 hours. Now if I had realized it was so easy I would have tackled it long ago. Then it would have been done and I would have been looking for something else to do. Somewhere else to spend money. Then I would have had to go out and find a full time job so I could be like other people. Buy things, do things. I'm still trying to kick that midwestern work ethic I was raised with and it's a nasty habit to break. Me too, back out in the sun...

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001