Monday, March 07, 2011

Saving Time and Daylight Saving Time

Saving Time
Planning - having a plan - timeline - scheduling - following the schedule. All these terms get us thinking about getting things done AND on time! Sometimes saving time means slowing down.

I've known forever that rushing around leads to mistakes that will take more time to correct than the time spent doing it correctly in the first place and Coach John Wooden said it best "If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?".

This weekend while driving home from upstate New York on Interstate 90 between Albany and Buffalo, the weather went from rain, to slush, to sleet to fog and settled into snow. The temperature dropped from 50°F to 27°F so the road became slick, very slick. For over an hour, I drove 50 miles per hour or less and saw my GPS adding minutes to my ETA (expected time of arrival). About a dozen cars were seen in ditches, mediums strips, pointing the wrong direction and one even off in farm field. I realized that by taking the time now and driving slowly, I was saving not only future time, but dollars and possible injury. I'm guessing, but I do think a turn into the ditch would have added at least 3 hours to the trip IF the car was still drivable.

In the end, I arrived home only a half hour later than I'd originally planned, but in one piece.

During the course of our busy work weeks, we often don't plan for the unexpected and smash our schedules into the impossible situation of too much to do and too little time leading to hurry-up and get it done.

Being realistic with our time and abilities can lead to happier customers. Why? Because if we realistically plan for "our own slick roads" we can knowingly estimate projects more accurately, schedule catch-up time and feel less stressed as we complete projects on our own schedule and not on the traffic of the rush-rush world.

Take some time this week to wedge in some breathing room in your calendar.

Copyright 2011 Linda Fayerweather MBA EA
http://www.changinglanes.biz/
419-897-0528
linda@changinglanes.biz
Consider working with a coach or a MasterMind Team to make 2011 the year of your dreams!


Daylight Saving Time

Spring Forward on March 13
The current Daylight Saving Time law was passed in the United States in 2007. Daylight Saving Time (DST) now follows the following schedule:
  • DST begins on the second Sunday in March each year; and
  • DST ends first Sunday in November each year.
Officially, the law requires businesses and timekeeping institutions to change clocks at 2:00 a.m. when DST changes occur. But you can change your clocks at a more convenient time (i.e. at bedtime the night before, or when you wake the following morning.) Just remember that when you wake up, businesses and schools will have changed their clocks and you will need to adjust your schedule accordingly.

Although most places in the United States observe daylight saving time, Hawaii and most of Arizona do not.

If you live in the U.S. where DST is observed, set your clocks ahead by one hour when DST begins, and back one hour when DST ends.