Time to Add a 25th Hour to the Day
In this age of miracle medical procedures and missions to Mars, why should it be absurd to think that mankind isn’t capable of adding a 25th hour to the day? I have the perfect formula that balances out the other days so that by the end of the week, only 168 total hours will still be consumed.
The tough part is deciding how to use that extra hour. Would you use it for work or pleasure? Would it give most of you a chance to recharge your tired bodies or finish that work project that keeps lingering?
There is no right or wrong reason for filling up a 25th hour. And although the idea may sound absurd and unrealistic, the reasons for wanting it are not. We are pushing our bodies and brains to the breaking point and, sadly, many of us don’t know how to break out of this grueling cycle. Although a 25th hour may seem like a pipe dream, just thinking about how to use that extra time may be enough to help you better plan the mere 24 hours you have each day.
Monday is the day that all heck breaks loose because something went wrong over the weekend and no one was there to put out the fire. Monday is the day that customers were promised a service call that couldn’t be handled on Saturday or Sunday. Some, if not most, contractors put service on hold until Monday, unless it was an extreme emergency or a life-threatening situation.
So, here is Monday with dozens of promised service calls. Ooops, not enough time in the day. No need to worry. You have an extra hour. Since your customers enjoy that same 25th hour, they would be happy to greet your tech at 7 a.m. instead of 8 a.m. (Keep nodding your head yes.)
Since you have that extra hour, you will be able to accommodate all of your customers on Monday. I’ll leave it up to you if you want to pay overtime for that hour, but you might see that as a small price to pay for piece of mind.
With that extra hour you can put your feet up on the desk and read that new product manual, business management idea, or even read The NEWS on the same day it comes in the mail. Wow.
To make up for the long Monday, turn Tuesday and Wednesday - usually less hectic days - into 23.5-hour days. Besides, who will notice the missing half hour?
You can also get a running start on that home improvement project you’ve been promising your spouse you’d finish in 2003. There’s nothing like putting it off for a few years. Now you have no excuse, meaning that you are using the extra hour to curse yourself for even having the extra hour.
You can also spend more time with the family, take in a movie, or visit the mall. Maybe your kids play sports and now you can watch them play without bothering to look at your watch. And if the kids would rather use that hour away from you - (Don’t fret. It happens to all of us.) - then go out to lunch or dinner with your spouse. Use that extra time to throw a few more “I love yous” into the conversation. Or just plain converse. Get to know your mate again.
Will you be doing all of this at the expense of a shorter Sunday? Heck, no. Backtrack to Thursday and Friday and make them 23.5-hour days. Like I said, no one will miss that half hour.
OK, I know what you are going to say. You gained an hour on Monday but lost two hours on Tuesday-Friday. So what? Monday is the day you need it. And you gained an hour on the weekend. You really need that.
So tell me, how would you spend your 25th hour?
Publication date: 03/05/2007
The tough part is deciding how to use that extra hour. Would you use it for work or pleasure? Would it give most of you a chance to recharge your tired bodies or finish that work project that keeps lingering?
There is no right or wrong reason for filling up a 25th hour. And although the idea may sound absurd and unrealistic, the reasons for wanting it are not. We are pushing our bodies and brains to the breaking point and, sadly, many of us don’t know how to break out of this grueling cycle. Although a 25th hour may seem like a pipe dream, just thinking about how to use that extra time may be enough to help you better plan the mere 24 hours you have each day.
THE WEEKDAY 25TH
I’d recommend making each Monday 25 hours, starting at 12:01 a.m. In the weekly scheme of things, especially for HVAC contractors and distributors, Monday seems the busiest of all days. It is also a day that we are all resigned to live through, regardless of whether we want to or not.Monday is the day that all heck breaks loose because something went wrong over the weekend and no one was there to put out the fire. Monday is the day that customers were promised a service call that couldn’t be handled on Saturday or Sunday. Some, if not most, contractors put service on hold until Monday, unless it was an extreme emergency or a life-threatening situation.
So, here is Monday with dozens of promised service calls. Ooops, not enough time in the day. No need to worry. You have an extra hour. Since your customers enjoy that same 25th hour, they would be happy to greet your tech at 7 a.m. instead of 8 a.m. (Keep nodding your head yes.)
Since you have that extra hour, you will be able to accommodate all of your customers on Monday. I’ll leave it up to you if you want to pay overtime for that hour, but you might see that as a small price to pay for piece of mind.
With that extra hour you can put your feet up on the desk and read that new product manual, business management idea, or even read The NEWS on the same day it comes in the mail. Wow.
To make up for the long Monday, turn Tuesday and Wednesday - usually less hectic days - into 23.5-hour days. Besides, who will notice the missing half hour?
THE WEEKEND 25TH
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, so you and Jack will need 25 hours on Saturday to do the things you never get done during the week. An extra hour on Saturday, starting at 12:01 a.m., could mean an extra hour of sleep or an extra-long breakfast with three cups of coffee instead of two.You can also get a running start on that home improvement project you’ve been promising your spouse you’d finish in 2003. There’s nothing like putting it off for a few years. Now you have no excuse, meaning that you are using the extra hour to curse yourself for even having the extra hour.
You can also spend more time with the family, take in a movie, or visit the mall. Maybe your kids play sports and now you can watch them play without bothering to look at your watch. And if the kids would rather use that hour away from you - (Don’t fret. It happens to all of us.) - then go out to lunch or dinner with your spouse. Use that extra time to throw a few more “I love yous” into the conversation. Or just plain converse. Get to know your mate again.
Will you be doing all of this at the expense of a shorter Sunday? Heck, no. Backtrack to Thursday and Friday and make them 23.5-hour days. Like I said, no one will miss that half hour.
OK, I know what you are going to say. You gained an hour on Monday but lost two hours on Tuesday-Friday. So what? Monday is the day you need it. And you gained an hour on the weekend. You really need that.
So tell me, how would you spend your 25th hour?
Publication date: 03/05/2007