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| Jun 03, 2008 4:01 pm |
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Organization Tuesday: Are you FAFFING? (And check out the cute video linked at the very end.) |
Julie Bestry
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Do you know the word faffing?
Perhaps I've been hiding somewhere in the mid-20th century (OK, not
"perhaps", I know I have), but until recently, faffing was unknown to
me. I should say, the word was
unfamiliar, but not the concept. You see, faffing is a
Briticism defined by the Urban Dictionary as wasting
time doing something not necessary, or as UK blogger Steven
Aitchison notes, it's:
"The art of doing something
without achieving anything”
Certainly we've talked about this before, especially when we discussed busywork
in these prior posts here and
here.
To my mind, faffing can include two types of "doing nothing":
the
busywork we discussed in depth, which seduces us into thinking that
we're actually doing something productive, and the true goofing off.
Busywork
may include tasks we must
(or should) perform but not with the same level of urgency
of other work, like when we're listening to recordings of
teleclasses we've missed or actively networking online when we should
be writing a proposal; or, busywork may be something better delegated
to staffers, family members, or VAs; or tasks we could jettison altogether.
Goofing off,
of course, we don't need to define. For example, I had a long
list of writing tasks the other day, but while rewarding myself with
lunch between assignments, I made the mistake of turning on the TV.
"Love Actually", one of my favorite recent movies was just
starting, and before I knew it, I was sucked in! (See?
Even
professional organizers are not immune to such time management
obstacles, no matter how strong our resolve!)
Now, go look at
your "to do" list or tickler file slot for today (or even yesterday, if
you're reading this early in the morning) and then come back.
I'll wait. Now…how many of those things did you get
accomplished? And how many other things, the equivalent of
faffing, did you get done on your way to doing (or avoiding) the task
at hand?
So, I offer a few tips, beyond what we've covered in that prior post on
"busywork"…
Know the difference between a task and a project.
A task is something you can complete in one(ish) step. A
project
is something made up of multiple steps. So, if you're writing
an
article, that's a project, made up of any of a number of steps, like:
- Brainstorm topics
- Select subject
- Research
material (which actually breaks down into smaller steps, depending on
whether you need to just hunt and gather from your own writings or
actually do web or book research)
- Outline and/or draft your article
- Edit the article
- Proofread and polish the article
Whew.
So, if "write article" was on your "to do" list, it's no surprise you
got distracted by faffing—checking Ryze posts to see what's new (and
especially to see if anyone responded to your last brilliant post),
visiting blogs or reading them via RSS, instant messaging about why you
haven't had time to write your article, Twittering (or following others
on Twitter), Flikring (is using Flikr in verb-form accepted yet?) and
so on.
Know
your end-point.
Without a clear goal in sight, it's like taking a road trip
without knowing where you're supposed to end up. If you know
(OK,
if you force
yourself to
know) where you have to be, and when, you have a much more realistic
picture of the amount of time you can spend on any faffing task.
Eliminate distractions.
Remember the teenager you once were who could listen to music blaring
amid a tornado-struck room, and yet still complete your term
paper? It's possible you still can, but why not give yourself
the
benefit of an organized workspace, where every essential item is easy
to access and operate. (If you have to move your
printer/scanner/shredder and plug it in every time you have to use
it…you'll find excuses not to use it.) You've heard me say it
before, but turn off your IM and email audio alerts and set your phone
to go directly to voicemail.
Monitor how you use your
time.
This morning, I had 17 minutes until a scheduled instant message chat,
so I thought I'd start replying to a client's overnight email
inquiry. Not exactly faffing, but it wasn't on my planned
agenda. The next thing I knew, although it seemed like merely
two
minutes had gone by, the clock showed I was already a minute late for
my online meeting. Eek—where did the time go? (If
you watch
Lost, you may join me in blaming the time traveling bunnies.)
So,
set a timer to alert you to passing time. One of my clients
actually has a watch that alerts her, with a recorded voice, that says
"It is now 3 o'clock!" Personally, I'd opt for something a
little
less 2001: A Space Odyssey, but to each his/her
own.
If
you are a gadget and software lover, you might get a kick out of Rescue Time, a free application that after a brief
set up, monitors how much time you spend at various sites and doing
various online activities. I must admit, I found myself
faffing a
bit too much checking my activities at Rescue Time, which defeated the
purpose.
Reward yourself.
Sometimes, our internal rebel gets tired of having to always
be
the grownup, always having to work instead of play. Combat these
rebellious tendencies by scheduling some faff-errific fun each time you
finish a major project, or elements of it. Knowing there's a
reward (whether it involves private time, monetary inducements or a
high calorie count) keeps the inner rebel at bay, but again, make sure
that an alarm or a gentle hand of a loved one pre-arranged to bring you
back to Earth before you faff your day (and night) away.
Let's make this a little more interactive today. Please post
what you spend your faffing time on.
I'll start with my own confessions:
- Reading personal finance blogs at PFBlogs.org, my
favorite , a personal finance blog aggregator
- Getting spoilers about my favorite TV shows at Television
Without Pity
- Checking (again) to see if the items on my Amazon wish list
are available at my public library
- Checking Facebook
and instant messaging to see if friends and colleagues are live and
chat-able
- Checking the status of money owed to me, from the IRS
stimulus rebate page to so-called instant rebates from
Staples.
- Getting
caught up in videos and blog posts that put an entertaining twist on
whatever is the subject of what I'm blogging or posting about--for a
cute video that really illustrates faffing, click here!
(Sorry, I can't figure out how to embed a video on Ryze.)
Faffers--share your faffs!
--
Julie Bestry, Certified Professional Organizer®
Best Results Organizing
"Don't apologize. Organize!"
organize@juliebestry.com
Visit http://www.juliebestry.com
to save time and money, reduce stress and increase your productivity
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