AgriSuccess
The big picture - All work and no play can lead to inefficient work habits.
Kevin Hursh
Everyone is busy. The world seems to spin faster and faster. It’s not unusual for producers to balance farm management and operation with family commitments and even off-farm employment or volunteer work.
Some people make it look easy. Others struggle and always seem to be running behind. Most of us fall somewhere in between.
You can’t create more hours in a day. There are, however, a few ideas that may help increase your time efficiency.
Some people make it look easy. Others struggle and always seem to be running behind.
We’ve all met people who seem to be “on the job” all the time without accomplishing as much as their hours would indicate. They study a job from five different angles before tackling it or they flit from one task to another as their attention span wavers.
Sometimes you’ll hear these folks complain about how hard they work and the fact that they never have time for a holiday. Hard work is admirable, but maybe the tasks are expanding to fill the time available.
You also meet producers who manage to schedule some time at the lake or some time to travel to visit friends and relatives. They may even find the time and resources for a winter vacation.
How do they get all their work done? Spending time away is easier on some farm operations than others, depending on the family and employee situation. But if you’ve promised your kids or grandkids a trip to the lake starting next Sunday, there’s a lot of incentive to focus on the tasks that need to be completed before you leave.
There are always stories about producers who were gone on a fishing trip while their canola crop was ravaged by diamondback moth larvae, but there are also stories about producers who would never leave the farm, which eventually led to marital problems.
Producers who can’t tear themselves away from the day-to-day operations are also the ones less likely to attend seminars or visit producers in other regions. That kind of renewal is valuable for your mental well-being and ultimately your work efficiency.
There are competing adages too. On one hand, we’re told to keep our nose to the grindstone. But we intuitively know that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
We all have to find a balance in our lives. But if you seem to be working more and accomplishing less, you might need to re-balance. Working efficiently and effectively and with motivation is what really matters. And usually that requires some time away from the regular work regime.
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