Time-saving Tips #3 and #4

And back to the Tips.

M. asked how to find time for long-term creative work, like writing. Or translating, editing, or drawing, whatever. No, you can not do the kinds of things in the middle of other, smaller things. Just take some time off, organise day care for your kid(s), or write at night, or whatever. But these Tips are for us bloggers, for example. I need at least half an hour per session for this, and at lerast twice a week. And I do find time for this, quite easily.

Tip #3: Do some things, not many, but some, at the same time.

I, for exaple, listen to my Estonian language course CD's and drive. Or I listen them in the kitchen and cook. That's why I boought the CD's. I don't have time to go to any evening classes – which would be much more efficient for sure.
And if I have to queue somewhere for a long time, I usually write my lists. I stretch my aching back and watch the TV news at the same time.

Tip #4: Don't waste your time. Regularly. (Occasionally it is FUN to watch a bad film and polish toe nails. But NOT every evening!)

I don't have time to watch violent crime TV series, like that C.S.I shit. They make me sad and almost sick. And I never, ever let Miss Funnybunny see them! (Not before she is 21.)
And I am not at all interested in cooking gourmet food. I love to invite people over, and I always give them something to eat, but I usually make something very simple, and usually the bread and danishes are bought frozen and put into the owen just seconds before the first guests arrive.
Every time, like once a year, I start cooking something more complicated I get the feeling that life is too short for this nonsense. And then I stop and start reading, or playing with Miss F. instead.

(But I appreciate good food. The fact that I am not interested in coking does not mean that I eat bad food. No, I am very careful and always prefew organically grown food. But I just don't want to prepare 4 courses a day and bake huge cakes.)

And always remember that time spent with your kids, or with other poeple who need you and your company, is never wasted. But kids and old parents like to do useful things, too. Miss F. likes travelling in Estonia (last summer she loved to visit a concentration camp museum area in Latvia. Hmmm... But she was only 1 year old back then.) And she likes to gather mushrooms in forests. Quality time spent with kids does not need to be just expensive amusement parks.

Now I have to check out the latest news about the forest fires in Russia. There has been some smoke today in Helsinki.

Goodnight,
IStori