I’ve been logging my time again. As I tell people who keep time logs for me, I learn something new every time I do this. Or at least I’m reminded of things I knew, but forgot. That makes it worth doing from time to time, even if it takes some effort.
This particular time log has corresponded with some major television events. I don’t really watch that much TV (or so the story goes). But I watched the Super Bowl. And I’ve been watching the Olympics. There’s something strangely appealing about watching certain sports (e.g. figure skating) just once every 4 years. It’s a blast of nostalgia to Winter Olympics past — listening to Scott Hamilton and thinking phrases such as “triple toe loop” which, trust me, I haven’t thought of in a while.
According to my time log, I’ve been watching a lot of the Olympics. I only started Friday night. But as of Sunday mid-day — so not even counting what I’ll watch today/tonight — I’ve put in 6 hours.
This is a major chunk of time. It’s kind of ironic, because I’d been complaining to myself lately that my life isn’t structured in such a way that I’m getting adequate exercise. We’ve had a lot of ice and snow, which makes running outside treacherous. So I need to drive to the Y, but that adds 20 minutes each way, and it’s hard to do outside of work hours and so I could do work hours, but I’m not working enough and… la la la.
But when I wanted 6 hours to appear over 2 days to watch the Olympics, magically, they appeared. To be sure, these hours have appeared on the weekend, but time is time and the tiles in our mosaics can be moved around. I have plenty of hours. If I wanted to take one afternoon during the workweek and drive to the Y, I could make the time up on the weekend. I could buy a treadmill for the basement off Craigslist, hook up a TV, and watch the Olympics while running. Yes, I’m normally watching at 9 p.m., but I’m not asleep until 11:30. I could run intervals until 9:30, then have 2 hours to clear that extra energy.
I’m not doing any of those things. So probably, the extra exercise isn’t a priority right now. Losing those 5 lbs I keep trying to lose isn’t actually a priority. Which is fine. But I need to recognize that for what it is. I prefer to watch other people do feats of physical activity on TV than to do much active myself. “I don’t have time” means “it’s not a priority.” I know that, but sometimes I forget.
This is the kind of thing my time logs remind me.
What have you learned by keeping track of your time?
I kept one last year and discovered that one of my most dreaded tasks- the preschool pick up- only took 45 minutes out of my week. (Put the baby in the bjorn, drag the toddler along, wait in line to pick up my daughter, walk outside and upstairs, and wait in line to pick up another little boy. Try to keep the kids from playing in the water fountains and pulling things off the corkboards along the way). I spent waaaay too much time dreading something that only took 45 minutes out of my entire week!
I should track my time to see how long I *actually* spend cleaning up under/around/in my son’s high chair, but it feels like at least a second job. I wish we had a dog because then I could just sweep it all on the floor and everyone would be happy 😉
I love the Olympics!! Unlike most other tv time, I consider it good family time. My oldest son is almost 4, so this is his first introduction to many of these sports as well as many of the countries. We get to talk about the “Olympic spirit” and the pride in representing one’s country while also celebrating globalism.
Additionally, it’s a great work-out! Our living room has turned into a min-Sochi stadium. Our socks on the wood floor serve as great ice skates for ice dancing. And I think my son has run at least 200 laps around our living room in his speed skating competition. Plus, it’s perfect timing considering that we already planned our first family getaway to the Poconos next weekend so he can try out real skiing. So while we have “found” time to watch way more tv than we normally do during the Olympics, I don’t see it as “found” time, but rather time we would be spending as a family doing other things. The Olympics, so far, in our household has not been new time I found for tv, but a backdrop to engage in all types of pretend play and activities. (Our Legos are also now competing in the Olympics).
Love it! Four of my five boys were on a bobsled run in the playroom yesterday.
Haha, Laura, this is very timely. I’m doing my log this week to send to you, and I keep thinking that you will think I’m a TV addict. Lots of Olympics watching for me as well, but I do consider it family time too. We all try to watch together…
@Rinna- oh yes, mine is full of the Olympics. I’m seeing it on a lot of other logs. Apparently lots of us who consider ourselves not TV people will watch for the right things!