Discretionary - Productive - Emacs
category
over the past 11 years.
Year | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | 0.7 | 19.4 | 2.7 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 8.6 | 34 | ||||
2013 | 0.7 | 12.5 | 38.5 | 18.5 | 10.0 | 6.0 | 1.2 | 5.2 | 0 | 0.1 | 3.2 | 0.4 | 96 |
2014 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 18.8 | 39.7 | 45.4 | 15.3 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 7.4 | 5.9 | 15.4 | 158 |
2015 | 16.6 | 37.4 | 7.4 | 9.0 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 20.0 | 9.6 | 6.3 | 26.5 | 18.2 | 160 |
2016 | 8.6 | 4.6 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 4.3 | 2.4 | 44 |
2017 | 3.7 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 5.2 | 2.8 | 0 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 34 |
2018 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 28 |
2019 | 2.2 | 10.7 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 13.7 | 6.8 | 7.1 | 3.6 | 13.3 | 16.1 | 16.7 | 2.0 | 97 |
2020 | 3.3 | 0.5 | 3.0 | .2 | 10.0 | 6.3 | 5.2 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 32.9 | 61.7 | 49.0 | 182 |
2021 | 53.7 | 47.1 | 44.7 | 25.5 | 18.1 | 11.5 | 8.3 | 11.9 | 9.5 | 66.0 | 138.1 | 66.6 | 501 |
2022 | 13.5 | 13.4 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 7.0 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 45.4 | 157.5 | 146.6 | 95.3 | 500 |
2023 | 23.4 | 15.9 | 16.2 | 11.2 | 4.4 | 11.5 | 6.5 | 13.3 | 36.6 | 86.6 | 93.2 | 319 |
Notes:
I can visualize this as a heatmap with:
import numpy as np import pandas as pd import matplotlib.pyplot as plt import seaborn as sns df = pd.DataFrame(time_data[1:], columns=time_data[0]).drop('Total', axis=1).set_index('Year') df = df.apply(pd.to_numeric) plt.title("sachac's Emacs hours by month and year") plot = sns.heatmap(df, annot=True, cmap='crest', fmt='.0f') fig = plot.get_figure() fig.savefig('emacs-time.png')
Activity | Jan 2023 | Feb 2023 | Mar 2023 | Apr 2023 | May 2023 | Jun 2023 | Jul 2023 | Aug 2023 | Sep 2023 | Oct 2023 | Nov 2023 | Total |
A- | 39.0% | 47.5% | 44.4% | 44.2% | 44.1% | 44.4% | 41.8% | 40.5% | 33.2% | 33.3% | 34.3% | 40.6% |
Business | 1.3% | 0.5% | 3.5% | 1.9% | 3.8% | 2.8% | 3.5% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 1.9% | 1.7% | 3.3% |
Discretionary > | 10.8% | 3.9% | 4.5% | 6.0% | 6.6% | 8.3% | 6.9% | 6.2% | 8.8% | 14.5% | 16.1% | 8.4% |
Personal > | 10.1% | 10.2% | 11.7% | 10.4% | 9.3% | 8.8% | 9.9% | 8.4% | 9.4% | 10.6% | 11.9% | 10.0% |
Sleep | 34.6% | 35.4% | 32.9% | 34.9% | 33.4% | 32.1% | 34.1% | 34.7% | 33.9% | 35.7% | 33.4% | 34.1% |
Unpaid work > | 4.3% | 2.5% | 3.0% | 2.8% | 2.9% | 3.6% | 3.9% | 3.3% | 5.9% | 4.0% | 2.6% | 3.5% |
Notes:
Sleep over the years:
Year | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
2013 | 36.0% | 34.9% | 37.0% | 36.5% | 32.5% | 35.8% | 37.4% | 43.1% | 37.9% | 36.9% | 37.8% | 34.5% |
2014 | 36.4% | 38.2% | 37.0% | 36.7% | 35.0% | 37.6% | 37.8% | 34.7% | 36.1% | 34.3% | 41.3% | 37.4% |
2015 | 35.5% | 35.3% | 38.5% | 35.0% | 35.1% | 39.7% | 36.9% | 40.1% | 40.3% | 37.4% | 37.8% | 41.4% |
2016 | 35.5% | 35.3% | 38.5% | 35.0% | 35.1% | 39.7% | 36.9% | 40.1% | 40.3% | 37.4% | 37.8% | 41.4% |
2017 | 38.2% | 35.9% | 34.3% | 35.1% | 33.0% | 30.8% | 32.6% | 27.2% | 26.5% | 32.8% | 34.0% | 29.6% |
2018 | 29.7% | 33.4% | 32.8% | 32.5% | 31.0% | 29.3% | 35.1% | 33.0% | 37.7% | 36.9% | 29.3% | 34.0% |
2019 | 33.2% | 34.7% | 35.3% | 35.6% | 33.9% | 30.4% | 32.0% | 32.9% | 35.7% | 34.6% | 33.1% | 34.4% |
2020 | 32.8% | 34.7% | 37.9% | 32.2% | 32.8% | 30.3% | 31.5% | 30.1% | 32.4% | 31.8% | 28.9% | 33.1% |
2021 | 28.6% | 30.1% | 34.6% | 33.3% | 31.6% | 31.8% | 36.1% | 33.6% | 35.1% | 34.7% | 32.5% | 32.4% |
2022 | 35.5% | 35.6% | 38.5% | 37.2% | 38.1% | 38.4% | 36.5% | 38.1% | 35.3% | 32.0% | 30.1% | 27.8% |
2023 | 34.6% | 35.4% | 32.9% | 34.9% | 33.4% | 32.1% | 34.1% | 34.7% | 33.9% | 35.7% | 33.4% | 35.2% |
import numpy as np import pandas as pd import matplotlib.pyplot as plt import seaborn as sns df = pd.DataFrame(data[1:], columns=data[0]).set_index('Year') df = df.applymap(lambda x: float(x.strip('%'))*24/100.0) plt.title("sachac's sleep hours per day by month and year") plot = sns.heatmap(df, annot=True, cmap='crest', fmt='.1f') fig = plot.get_figure() fig.savefig('sleep-time.png')
The kiddo was born in 2016. You can see how much less sleep I've been getting since then. =)
So I just need enough me time to keep myself sane and to make better use of interstitial time as the opportunities arise: waiting for her to wake up, waiting for her to finish reading or playing, waiting for her to go to sleep… I'm starting to be able to find 5 minutes here, 20 minutes there. Most of the time, I can't jump on my laptop. If I'm on a screen, she'll want to be on a screen. Fortunately, my SuperNote doesn't trigger that sense of unfairness, so I can draw or write as long as I'm willing to let her use it if she wants to draw too.
I get some coding time here and there, too. I've shifted to more of an advisory role for my consulting, helping a couple of other developers via text chat on my phone throughout the day and sitting down to code when A-'s watching a movie. Sometimes I work on personal projects while A- watches a movie. She's very good at insisting we both take eye breaks, and from all her questions, I get the feeling that her brain is still very busy processing the Nth time through Frozen or the LEGO Movie. Cool, cool. Might as well use that time to work on continuous improvement. There's always more tidying to do, but it's also good to play around with ideas and try to make things better.
So, what do I want to think about and work on when these opportunities come up? How can I accelerate during those little sprints of thinking time?
What if I want to create more time? How can I get more focused time?
It'll be great. Sure, it's not the sudden jump in discretionary time that I might have had if A- was going to go to in-person school, but this way could be good too. I can grow into it just like A- will grow into her own independence. It reminds me of the way my 5-year experiment with semi-retirement started off with lots of consulting and slowly ratcheted down until I felt comfortable using most of my time for my own stuff. We can learn about time apart together.
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A general approach that could work for me is:
I feel scatter-brained. I find it hard to concentrate and remember, and I waste time getting back on track after interruptions. Mostly this is because I like being so available for A-, which is a decision I'm okay with, so I should just figure out how to compensate for that until things get back to normal-ish. Paperwork is low priority for me, so I should make sure it's taken care of by someone who can prioritize and review it properly, and I shouldn't overcommit.
We can get through this step by step. I can't talk myself into being more focused and more observant, but I can gradually build safety nets, and then I can practise slowing down and paying attention.
A slow tempo often frustrates other people. I know my dad and Kathy often got impatient, and W- sometimes does too. Still, I think I can manage starting slow and working on becoming more solid. I trust that I'll speed up with experience and with the compound growth of continuous improvement. I'm good at multiplying the value of the time I spend, and there are a few areas where I feel fast, too. I want to figure out just the right tempo for things – not slower than I need to be, but not faster than I can, while erring on the side of underpromising. I think this might be useful for me in the long run. Let's see!
]]>What makes a week satisfying? How can I prepare so that I can enjoy satisfying weeks more often?
Last week was a satisfying week. If I put some thought into it, I might be able to have even more of them. :) Some things are outside my control, but I can probably stack the deck. Hmm…
]]>The main thing that gets shifted around on my end is the journal, since that’s natural to do at the end of the day. The quick notes I take on my phone will probably be enough, though. Alternatively, I could split it up: sleep after my journal, and then wake up and so other things.
So, how can I ease into this? If I prioritize sleeping during her naps for a couple of days, that should make it easier to wake up early. A- will adjust her own naps based on her energy. This is a good time to try it, anyway – no major appointments coming up, so we can adjust as needed. I think W- wanted to start being up by 5 or even earlier. Bonus: electricity is cheaper.
We’ll see if A-‘s okay with my slipping away early in the morning. If not, maybe I’ll find my discretionary time somewhere else in the day. No worries! I’d like at least enough time for my journal and for Emacs News, so that’s about half an hour to an hour. Interruptible and can be deferred a day or two, so the time is pretty easy to find. Most of the other things can wait if need. The next big chunk is probably filing our personal taxes some time in March or April, but I should be able to find enough focused time in that period. Who knows, maybe A-‘s sleep patterns will have changed by then. We’ll see!
]]>This past year has been a little like the openness of my final year of university, when my habit of taking summer courses freed up half the typical academic load for the schoolyear and I had plenty of time to explore open source development. This time, I had even more autonomy. No exams to study for, no projects to submit; just choices.
I'm learning that my physical state strongly influences my mental state, which then strongly influences how I use my time and how I feel about that use. If I'm tired or fuzzy-brained, I won't get a lot done. I've learned to make better use of fuzzy-brained times by keeping a list of small tasks I can do, like housework. I invest some of my alert time in building the systems and processes to help me when I'm fuzzy-brained, too. Long-term, I'm probably well-served by investing more time in health. I'll rest when I need to. Beyond that, if my mind's not as active or as energetic as I'd like, there's always working on my energy.
I feel particularly good when I use my discretionary time to:
I feel good when I:
On the other hand, I feel like time's just passing when I:
I've come to enjoy a lot of different kinds of discretionary time. I think I don't need a lot of pure leisure, at least not the vegging-out kind. I definitely like having a lot of discretionary time – to be able to choose what to do when – but even the things we do for day-to-day living can be enjoyable.
I will probably have less absolute time for leisure and less control of my time in general, but I think I'll be okay. Because of this experiment, I've been learning that time probably isn't my limiting factor when it comes to things like writing or learning or making things. It's probably more about curiosity, observation, motivation, and experience, and those are things that I can develop through the years.
Related:
]]>I agree with some aspects of these points. I can remember being the sort of person who agreed more, and that's interesting for me – tracking the changes in my attitude towards time.
I can remember a time when I kept an eye out for the milestones by which other people had achieved a lot: the youngest people who did X/Y/Z, the lists of thirty under thirty, the stats in math and physics of early achievement and momentum.
I moved on from that in my late teens or so, when I realized people used stories like that to beat themselves up, give up, or push themselves to an unhealthy pace. I wanted to find something to tell people who told me, "Wow, you're so young and you're already good at computers! I could never do something like that." For myself, I saw the kinds of lives people sketched out for people who had "high potential," and I wasn't sure if I really wanted them. Instead of those stories of young CEOs and world-changers, I resonated more with attention to those who continued achieving later in life, or even started late, like Grandma Moses taking up painting at 78. I liked the stories those lives could help me tell to people who felt they missed the boat. I liked the stories of deep interest, like Isaac Asimov's decades of writing, and how those stories illuminated the possibilities. I liked examples of older people continuing to engage, like Benjamin Zander.
The books and magazines and newspapers I read were filled with stories of mainstream success, but I found myself more curious about people who had thoughtfully explored alternatives. I liked discussions of frugality and deliberate consumption more than luxury and excess. I liked communities around lifelong learning, experimentation, and early retirement.
One of the things I picked up from looking at other people's lives was the possibility that you could feel time as abundant instead of scarce – not so plentiful as to be wasted, but enough for the important things in life. Life didn't have to be a rat race or a hurried rush from one thing or another. I didn't have to do everything. I didn't have to have it all. I could do what I can and enjoy where I was.
Still, I was curious about acceleration. I periodically experimented with the productivity techniques that other people liked: making lists of goals, plotting out timelines, looking for ways to accelerate. I found that committing to an artificial deadline or target date to a goal didn't really resonate with me. I decided not to be my own taskmaster, trusting instead in my shifting evaluations and priorities. I'm nowhere near where my far-past self might have guessed I'd be, but I like where I am. I'm somewhere my far-past self couldn't even have imagined.
I hadn't come across Seneca's On the Shortness of Life until a few years ago, but when I did, I found it in things that I had come to believe about my own life. "It is not that we have a short space of time, but that we waste much of it. Life is long enough, and it has been given in sufficiently generous measure to allow the accomplishment of the very greatest things if the whole of it is well invested."
What does it mean to invest it well, though? I remember occasionally measuring my life against the estimate of my remaining days, tallying up what I had done and what I wanted to do. I felt the passing of time in the days and the months. I remember observing the differences in familiar people and in the world around me: my parents' graying hair, my friends' lifestages, the shifts in technologies. Back to the tick-tock. I think one of the reasons I've found it so easy to keep a weekly/monthly/yearly review (and now a daily journal) is that I don't want to wake up one day and wonder where all those years went, as people often do.
Something has shifted in my perspective, though. I'm not sure what caused it. Maybe philosophy has helped me let go of the worry about making sure I live a life of great significance. I don't need to be in history books. I can focus on living life well, and other people can decide how much they want to take from it. Maybe this equanimity had something to do with the day-to-day focus of my current phase. These days, I'm mostly focused on being when I am – not trying to fast-forward or rewind, but rather seeing and making the most of now.
I still want to make something of my life. I want to leave behind notes, tools, and ideas that will make it easier for other people to go a little farther or a little faster. I've felt that way for as long as I can remember. It feels a little different now, though. Instead of worrying that I'll fail or that I'll choose the wrong path, I know I can keep building and exploring, and that the benefits will grow and grow.
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