The Buffet Problem: the pursuit of curating time (new essay)
The Buffet Problem is something I’ve been thinking about for a while. It’s a classic time management and prioritization dilemma. Let’s say you’re facing a bountiful endless buffet. Everything you could imagine is waiting for you. And yet, the catch, you have a single plate and can only go through the line once. What do you select and why? That’s what I wrote an essay about.
It was recently published in the Journal of Library Administration: https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2023.2281342
My draft version can be read here: https://www.academia.edu/113173253/THE_BUFFET_PROBLEM_the_pursuit_of_curating_time
When the pandemic hit, it elevated aspects such as workload management, bandwidth issues, and prioritization. Many of us use the phrase “my plate is full” – but it’s interesting to step back and look at what’s actually on our plates. All of us are busy. Too busy! But do we actually know, comprehensively, where our time and energy are being directed?
The short answer for me: I wasn’t spending enough of my time on the things that I felt were most important.
Tracking it all
Let’s go with the food/plate metaphor. So much of it comes down to intention and awareness – and meal prep! I don’t like using a calorie tracker, but…. it works. In fact, for me, it’s the single most effective method for weight management. When I track what I eat, I almost always make healthier choices. Likewise, when I plan, track, and reflect on how I use my time at work, I tend to invest my hours more strategically.
And it’s not about tracking in order to do more, but rather, measuring my time usage against preset goals. With nutrition I have an ideal amount of carbs, fat, and protein that I strive for each day. What does that look like at work? What is the right balance of time responding to emails, hosting/attending meetings, advancing projects, mentoring, supervising, planning, professional development, or doing strategic work? Obviously there will be an ebb and flow throughout the year, but generally speaking am I spending half of my day in email and the other half in meetings? If so, that might be a problem if I’m neglecting other responsibilities. But until you actually have the data – it’s all speculation.
Check out the essay. It was fun and therapeutic to write. My next few posts will dive more deeply into these themes and I’ll share more of my pragmatic experiments in this time + productivity domain.
