On spending time - #349

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I've been a train commuter during the second half of this summer. First due to real construction in the basement; then due to reconstruction (and finally finishing?) the basement office. When I time it just right, the train and bike will take an hour each way. Commutes are a top driver of unhappiness, according to the social scientists, and it's not hard to see why: knowing you'll hand over two of your sixteen waking hours to repetitive travel isn't a good start to the day. While my train and bike are on the easier (and prettier) side of a Boston commute, I still end up, all those hours later, right where I started.Beyond the revolving nature of the time spent, the two hours are often time lost: I've been back on podcasts and music listening and Twitter. Opening the day in a frenetic tapping and scrolling for information sets me up for a day of lost focus. It got so bad earlier this week that I left the office for a midday walk. Having made no progress on some creative work, I put the challenge in my mind, left all devices behind, and walked around East Cambridge for a half hour. Musing on the challenge while moving, unaided by devices, helped. Upon returning to my desk, I immediately wrote a two page outline and then crafted the slide deck. Within an hour and a half of leaving my desk, walking time included, my part of the project was done.

On the other hand, the commute does change my end-of-day momentum: I've never been as productive between 2 and 4 p.m. as I am when trying to catch the 4:35 train home. There's nothing like a real time constraint to sharpen one's attention to the task at hand. You spend time differently when you have a destination.

For the reading this week, we have two interesting essays on spending time. Enjoy!