I have observed a variety of farmers. There are those who value their time and pay attention to where and how it is spent, and those who do not.
I am not here to judge. There are many ways to get the job done on the farm and sometimes things need to happen in chaotic and unplanned ways.
But I admire good time managers. I think their skills are underrated. To maintain practices and routines centred around ensuring a person’s precious hours, days and weeks are handled efficiently takes more than just writing down a list of tasks in a day planner. It requires confidence, clarity and fortitude.
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This winter, my off-farm work has taken a lot of my time. Having paid work in disciplines I enjoy is a good thing. However, having a diverse array of jobs to complete requires planning.
To be honest, I am still trying to figure out a daily planning system that works well for me
Here’s what I have learned so far: changing a habit is difficult, and sometimes it involves a fundamental, almost existential, shift in perspective. I have also learned that if we don’t honour our own time and plan it as best we can, it likely means we’re dishonouring someone else’s time and that sucks.
I am a last-minute writer. The editor of The Western Producer would agree. He’s waiting for my piece as I write this. I have tried writing these columns ahead of time and occasionally I have succeeded, but for the most part, my brain has become used to writing amid the frenzy of the 11th hour.
When I have written in advance of a deadline, I feel as though the possibilities surrounding what I can write about, how deeply I can research a topic and how good it could be are endless. When I am rushed, there is a built-in excuse for the fact that, once again, I didn’t cite sources or statistics.
There is safety in the form of self-preservation in being disorganized and last minute. We’re not on the hook for anything if we can always say, “shoot, I forgot,” or, “darn, I was just too busy to get that done.”
I have uttered these sentences, and I have been around others, who, like me, have not been great at mapping out their time.
More so, I have come to realize that the only way being a poor time manager “works” is if others pick up the slack and accommodate.
In other words, while I used to believe that my chaotic ways were charming, whimsical or just part of being a farmer, I now know that they are actually quite selfish.
I want to be more organized. I want to plan better. I want to play with a different form of writing — one that is organized, mapped out and full of information, coupled with strong anecdotes. But to do this, I must change something fundamental about how I write.
And on the farming side, I want to make sure that I am mapping out my time as best as possible, anticipating the challenges and letting those who may be affected know well in advance.
Time management is not easy, but I think getting better at it is a worthwhile goal. I have been a part of many conversations in which an ag-service person expressed frustration over the expectations placed on them by their farmer clients.
As farmers, we can’t anticipate and plan for everything — machines break down, after all — but we can foresee a lot more than many of us acknowledge.
If you notice a change in my writing style, you know why. It means my plan to plan is taking shape.
Wish me luck and talk soon.
Toban Dyck farms in southern Manitoba and shares his thoughts through media platforms.
