Finding time to do it all on Yedda - People. Sharing. Knowledge.

Finding time to do it all

I.
Here is the following situation: I have to complete certain tasks in a given time-frame but according to even the most promising estimations, I would not be able to do that.

II.
So is there any solution to this classic problem?

Here is what comes to my mind:

- do the tasks with a very poor quality but have them completed on time;

- get extra time by "squeezing oneself" as much as possible - sleeping less, drinking coffee, etc;

- "buy time" with money - hire somebody to help with your work;

- collaborate with somebody else who is doing the same tasks;

- do some of the tasks in a new way which would take less time, i.e. adopt an innovation or invent one.

III.
Let's say in my situation the last one is the only option.

Here comes the actual question.

To make it clear I will illustrate it by an example: Let's say I need to enter text into the PC everyday and that takes me 3 hours. I need to have that done in 2 hours. I spend some time to think what innovation possibly exists to help me spend less time on that.
I come up with the idea that learning to touch type on an alternative keyboard layout would save me considerable amount of time.
But how much indeed? And how much would it take me to learn the new layout?

I list the estimations I need to make:
(a) I need to do some research on the existing keyboard layout alternatives;
(b) I need to think about the logic behind each of them and compare them;
(c) I also should look for and read reviews by users who have switched to them;
(d) once I choose one I must to look for, choose, download, install and learn software to re-arrange the standard keyboard layout;
(e) then I must look for some information on the net how to learn touch typing, probably look for some software for that purpose;
(f) finally I must train touch typing until I learn it.

All these tasks consume time. I can make some estimations how much they would take me. I can hardly make any estimations, though, how much time the new skill would really save me. Thus I cannot make an estimation in what period of time the whole thing of "adopting the innovation" would pay off. I cannot know if it would pay off at all.

Here is something tricky, though. This new skill would benefit my work with computers in general, not only the work on the particular task I need to do in less time. It would pay off in areas I have not intended to be innovating in.

IV.
(1) is there a way to calculate how much time an innovation would save me in a given term?
(2) is there a sixth option to item II?

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stella41

49 answers

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The preface to your question puts me in mind of Taylorism, in which Frederick Taylor and others in the field of scientific management analyzed every aspect of work in order to come up with more efficient methods. (See Wikipedia: Frederick Taylor)

Personally, I think that such analysis is beneficial -- but only in limited doses. You cannot spend most of your time trying to save time.

For any time-saving efforts you make -- whether based on your own innovation or someone else's innovation -- you can apply the rule of reason. It probably wouldn't be reasonable to spend forty hours on a project that would save you a half-hour once a year. But it would be reasonable to undertake that same project if it would save you a half-hour every week or every day. (If it's a close call whether the project would be worthwhile, you could practically flip a coin to decide whether to start it.)

Even if you can't make exact estimate of the time you'd likely spend or save, you can make an educated guess, based on your knowledge and experiences. I think that's the best that anyone can do. No one can be sure that, say, learning a new keyboard layout would be useful for them. But some people start such projects anyway, based on a rough calculation that they probably would be useful.

Posted 1 year ago ( permalink )

In reply to drabsv's question

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brosen

1062 answers

774 thumbs up

It is wise to learn touch-typing because it would save you considerable time. If you feel that you cannot learn it on your own which is understandable go to a course of less than a week. From your note I get the feeling that you are making too tight a schedule that may be ideal but is impractical. The reason is that in almost every project there are surprises that spring up which are impossible to predict. Therefore I would suggest you loosen up on your scheduling and don't expect too much from yourself (since you apparently work on your own). You could also consider hiring a student with touch typing skills to do the inputting until you become more proficient.

Posted 1 year ago ( permalink )

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PM Hut

13 answers

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Project Management - PM Hut

From a Project Management perspective, usually quality is the first one to suffer, so point #1: do the tasks with a very poor quality but have them completed on time; is usually the option taken whenever you have a problem.

I think what you're trying to do is mainly Project Management. If you want to learn Project Management, then I suggest the Project Management for Beginners section on PM Hut.

Posted 2 months ago ( permalink )

In reply to drabsv's question