John Griff column: Making the most of the extra time on my hands

Coronavirus has wreaked havoc in the global economy, our population and the way in which we conduct our private and professional lives.
john has drawn up plans for some storage shelves for under the stairs he plans to makejohn has drawn up plans for some storage shelves for under the stairs he plans to make
john has drawn up plans for some storage shelves for under the stairs he plans to make

But there’s a chance that it could teach those who remain something about what matters, compassion, and how to live with what we have.

Around me there are plenty who have been furloughed, made redundant, had their services summarily dispensed with or have been sidelined.

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I’ve written before about my own circumstances changing with lots of work drying up, being postponed or cancelled by the effects of this remarkable period in history.

So, with what is taking place around me, I’ve found myself becoming increasingly familiar with the concept of time on my hands.

Historians have, for decades, written of pandemics, but they happen to other people, don’t they? Not any more.

Pandemics happen to us and we may be far from the current one ending. Beyond it lies uncharted economic water; so will there be a general move towards collaboration for the common good, or will we enter a period of becoming a dog-eat-dog society where the successful ride on the backs of those they have just walked over?

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You could easily argue that we have lived in that world for a lot longer than the pandemic has existed, but I sincerely hope that when we get the chance to rebuild the softer aspects of our world, we can do so collaboratively.

Fanciful? Perhaps. Naive? Maybe. Achievable? That is for us to decide.

Returning to the reality of time on my hands, I’ve rediscovered the concept of personal efficiency.

I detest boredom. It depresses me and, if unchecked, rapidly becomes the norm.

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I’ve always maintained that multi-tasking is not only achievable, but a desirable skill in myself and others.

If I go upstairs to do something, I take whatever needs to be relocated there (eg the washing or ironing), returning with something else that lives downstairs, like the morning’s tea mug.

That process takes care of at least two jobs, plus whatever I was going upstairs for originally. In recent months my To Do list has become a daily guide to my actions.

Even the writing of it has become a productive use of my day, scheduling my movements to become more effective.

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With it I’ve also been able to better marshal my time – I’m writing this piece in my kitchen having loaded the washing machine; emailed a number of business contacts; cleared up the lounge; and drawn up plans for some storage shelves for under the stairs I plan to make later today.

In being so engaged I’ve also saved myself time, been more effective and actively managed my own destiny, rather than existing as a prisoner of fate.

When I walk Max, I use the time to think through plans... and then put them on my To Do list. This is not enslavement to work – this is liberation.

By adapting my lifestyle and my mindset to my circumstances – however enforced they might have become – doing so has allowed me to feel better about myself.

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I’ve been far more aware of my surroundings and saved money, too. Those shelves? They’ll have cost me less than £20 and entertained me with a few hours of DIY pleasure while they’re made, rather than costing three times as much and denying me that sense of personal achievement which I’ve found to be priceless.

Nobody can live on air, I appreciate, but having a reduced income and finding myself with time on my hands has somehow enriched my life.

You should see my To Do list…

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