Do we really all have the same amount of time in our day?

By Mummy Fever

Published 06:03 on February 27, 2017

Updated 15:19 on February 26, 2017

Comments 9

As a busy work from home mum, I’m always looking for time saving hacks and ways to be more productive, constantly thinking outside the box and finding more ways to fit more into my day.

I really like reading about how other people juggle work and family life and picking up tips along the way, as well as coming up with my own time saving hacks to try and achieve as much as possible in the time available.

Perplexed

Recently, however I watched a vlog that left me feeling both inadequate and a bit perplexed. The vlog was about being productive, unlike others I’ve seen with hacks and new tips to try out, this vlog was basically making the point that we all have the same hours in the day, so if we aren’t achieving what we want to be in a day… well, we don’t want it badly enough and we aren’t trying hard enough.

Now, whilst I accept that of course we all have the same number of hours in the day, and I accept that not everyone uses those in the most productive way 100% of the time, we do not all have the same ‘available’ time as each other.

Breaking it down

Let’s break this down a bit, just to illustrate my point:

• Someone who has one child in full time school or nursery does not have the same available time as someone with newborn twins at home
• Someone who has three children in school and cares for an elderly relative at home does not have the same available time as someone who works part time and has two children who are cared for by grandparents
• Someone with a young child with complex needs and three teenagers who have a range of hobbies does not have the same available time as someone who works from home with three pre-schoolers

My point is that we all have totally different home lives and responsibilities that take up varying amounts of our time each day. A parent who has six children to bath and put to bed will need to spend more time on that that someone with only one child – that’s obvious isn’t it?

It doesn’t mean that one is more committed to their work or project more than another, just that they have other things to do before they can get to that part of their day.

So whilst we will all procrastinate at times, whilst we’d all love more time, when we are utilising our time as best as we possibly can, we shouldn’t be made to feel that we are still failing and we certainly shouldn’t have our commitment, ambition or desire to succeed questioned by someone who just has more ‘available’ time than we do.

What are your thoughts?