I don’t save time, I spend it. Frivolously. I take time and I wallow in it. As if I had all the time in the world.
There are brief episodes in my day when I’m wildly efficient. I can get a patient pre-screened and prepped to see the doctor with all the relevant information on his file and in the computer, because the doctor is on a schedule, and booked appointments should be seen on time. I see contact lens patients myself in a timely fashion. I arrive at work when I’m supposed to, and I leave work when my shift is over. I’m good at paperwork and keeping things organized and finishing things up, because that’s what I get paid to do.
Other than that, I’m flexible as all get out. I’ve never wished for more hours in a day and I don’t really understand the mad rush people invent for themselves in the interests of getting a ridiculous number of tasks accomplished, and then beating themselves up and driving everyone around them insane when there are things to do left over at the end of an exhausting day. Slow down. Calm down. Gear down. Figure out what really matters.
My time-saving tips, for whatever they’re worth:
1. Make a list. Things that need to be taken care of, picked up, dealt with, looked into.
2. Decide which things on the list, if not accomplished today, will cause the world to blow up and life as you know it to end. Hi-lite those items.
3. Realize you’ve misplaced your damned hi-liter and while you’re looking for it, accept the fact that your list has also mysteriously gone missing.
4. Convince yourself that if whatever you were planning on getting done was that important it would be impossible for you to forget it, and rely on your brain and your memory to get you through the day.
5. As list items randomly pop into your head at the end of the day when it’s too late to start anything, jot them down.
6. Repeat from step 2.
And life goes on. Tomorrow is another day with just as many glorious hours in it. Do what makes you happy and gives you a sense of accomplishment. Nothing else is all that important.
