Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save. Will Rogers (1879-1935), New York Times, April 29, 1930

I have a new philosophy. I’m only going to dread one day at a time. Charles M. Shultz (1922 - 2000) Charlie Brown in "Peanuts"

I’m always hearing, "There’s just never enough time!" Is this true? 24 hours - that must be enough time to get everything done that needs to be done in one day. Or is it? Let's see. Recently I conducted unscientific research on this subject to determine the amount of time experts suggest we spend doing everyday, albeit, necessary tasks. Optimistically, I assumed they understood the needs and limits of the typical human, in particular, the typical American human. I now have my doubts.

Here's what the experts had to say about the approximate time it takes for us to complete life’s little necessities from day to day.

Sleep. We need 8 hours snooze time. They failed to mention the necessary (and minimum I might add) 30 minutes preparation time. 8.5 hours.

Exercise. The medical experts claim we need 1 hour of strenuous, continual movement daily. Just weeks ago it was 30 minutes. But the fitness statisticians, always conscientious about these things, mandated the uppage to 1 hour. However, they forgot to add the estimated time it takes to change into sweats, find sneakers, bend over and tie sneakers, find a place to move our limbs while simultaneously avoiding accident or physical trauma, and the required post exercise clean up period. Conservatively, add 45 minutes. Total: 1.75 hours.

Eating. Seems like a simple process. However, modern food experts say, "Don’t wait to eat until you’re hungry ...you must keep your blood-sugar levels steady ... and ... eat at least five small meals per day. Okay, that means we eat every (let me get my calculator) 3.2 hours. Two of those "small" meals are really snacks, right? How long can this take? I timed myself... Walk to the fridge, grab apple, chunk of cheese ... wait... I forgot... we're not allowed to eat a whole apple... it has to be one-half... and one-half ounce of cheese. Okay, walk back to the counter, grab a knife, the cutting board and deftly swipe the diet scale off the second shelf on the second pass. 2 minutes. Prepare the snack. If you're really agile and don't trip over the dog on your trek around the kitchen you can fix a snack in 5 minutes - that's not forgetting to wrap the leftover fruit, cheese, and throw utensils in the sink. Experts say, however, that we need to relax while eating and should never eat standing up. ... Minimum 5 minutes to sit comfortably, chew efficiently and swallow. Two tiny (hardly worth eating) meals: 20 minutes. (or.333333... of an hour) I’m beginning to see how a one-hundred minute hour would be more mathematically friendly.

Getting the picture? Now, the main meals take significantly longer. Here, we are assuming that all ingredients are readily available, peeled, chopped, marinated and within easy reach (ala Emeril) and we’ll encounter (miraculously) no interruptions. According to Meals.com, the typical family meal consists of a main dish, one or two side vegetables (or a salad), a bread product, beverage and dessert. Experts suggest: 20 minutes preparation time and 30 - 60 minutes cooking time, during which we can save time by cleaning up, fixing dessert, and setting the table for a satisfying repast. 3 total hours for preparing three basic meals ... give or take 2. Then there’s the actual time it takes for consumption. Dieticians (eating experts) are fond of telling us we must provide a calm (nice and slow) atmosphere to aid digestion and further remind us to chew our food well. The time this takes depends on the size of your mouth, number of your teeth, power of your jaws, and strength of your esophageal mechanism. Well, we won't go there. Let's estimate another 30 minutes per meal... NO WAIT - the evening meal should take longer because family experts insist we need quality time around the dinner table talking and listening to each other. We'll have to round it off to 60 minutes just in case, for dinner- time. So the total for daily nutrition-breaks: 5.33 hours.

Home maintenance. This was a really curious one since experts generally agree that the amount of time spent here depends on division of labor (how many people in the family actually DO their chores) and the number of time-saving appliances available. Information is sketchy - but the most reliable estimate puts household chore time at around 32 hours per week. This means that keeping a home generally presentable inside and out - mopping, sweeping, vacuuming, dusting, bed-making, toilet-cleaning, bath-scrubbing, dish-washing, laundry-washing-drying-folding-putting away, ironing, oven-cleaning, refrigerator-cleaning, garage-cleaning, gutter-cleaning, yard-raking, grass-mowing, car-washing, picking-up-everything 10 times ... translates into an average of 4.571429 hours per day.

Worship and spiritual life. Estimates vary depending on faith, devotion, denomination and how long it takes to get all the kids cleaned, dressed and in the car. Additionally, some people visit their house of worship daily. But for our purposes, let’s use a conservative estimate: 2 hours on the weekend and 1 hour during the week. Include another 4 hours of family dressing time plus the usual required driving time and we come up with seven hours in 7 days. So that works out to 2.5 hours on Wednesday and 4.5 hours on Saturday or Sunday. We’ll average this in later.

Personal quiet time. For me, this is the vital, sanity saving time of my life. (Whether it was a survival break in a locked bathroom barricaded from toddlers or a peace-instilling pre-dawn prayer walk.) It turns out that experts such as ministers, psychologists and stress advisors also agree that it is essential: 30 minutes per day minimum is the recommended allotted time.

Errands. I couldn't find data on this subject probably because it’s impossible to statistically quantify. For instance, an errand to the store for odds-and-ends on Sunday after church but before the football game is energized by the adrenalin rush that accompanies the season. Males can break records at the local Piggly Wiggly in anticipation of a 1 o’clock. kick-off. Remember this, Mom if your working on efficiency. Let’s look at other normal, time-draining errands like trips to: dry-cleaner, library, video store, drugstore, post office, bank, health food store, Wal-Mart, sports practices, music lesson. Don’t forget: grocery shopping, doctor appointments, orthodontist appointments, hair-cuts, dog grooming appointments, vet appointments... and the like. We're forced to do a guesstimate here and I know many will disagree. But, it’s got to average out to at a conservative 10 hours per week for the average family, or 1.428571 hours per day.

Family life. Here, all experts seem to agree, "Family is job one." They tell us, "A healthy marriage and family takes plenty of quality time." One solution: Family nights - planned periods of idyllic game-playing or family-romping. 4 hours per week. In addition, marriage counselors insist that couples need a special "date time" every week. Minimum, 4 hours. Child psychologists recommend a daily one-on-one time between parent and child of at least 30 quality minutes. Let's figure on 2.5 children per household. That's another 8.75 quality hours per week. Add "family life" hours up, divide by 7 days, answer: 2.392875 hours per day.

According to my best calculations, the time we should spend on essentials so far, totals 25.47288 hours per day. Oh no ... this can't be ... what about ... time to make phone calls, send emails, write letters, pays bills, comfort a sick child? Families I know take showers, baths, perform grooming rituals. The vast majority hold employment outside the home. Almost all the ones I know homeschool, do volunteer work, coach little league or lead scout troops and the like...

Houston, we've got a PROBLEM! Where are the experts NOW to explain the time budget deficit? We're hemorrhaging hours and minutes here! That does it! That proves what I've suspected for some time... YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. You KNEW there was NOT ENOUGH TIME in a day to get everything done. Feel better now? Probably not. But that's okay.

I can see you smile, shake your head and murmur, "Now, back to the real world, Jane." You straighten your shoulders, lift your head, drop your broom, glance around at your well-used, much-lived-in, dust-laden space, and sigh. Then you call the children, pack everyone in the ‘92 Chevy and take your next field trip ... to the playground.
Time vs. Priorities. Priorities win.

"Life is easier than you think - all you have to do is this: accept the impossible, do without the indispensable, bear the intolerable, and be able to smile at anything." Barbara Johnson, from Every Time I Get My Act Together, The Curtain Comes Down.