Efficiency is to blame

We have embedded efficiency in our lives and inner values.

As human beings living in a time of new discoveries, crises, conflicts and the use of technologies.  If we want to live a supposedly good life we have to be efficient.  

This means that time is a commodity.  We do not have it.   

Time is not supposed to be on our side, so we had better make the most of it.  

Academic life clearly resembles this. We need to show at we do not waste time.  Publications have to be regularly done. Teaching has to be excellent.  No less and no more than one hour per lecture.  

Efficiency is the goal, for which academic life gives you flexibility.  But also the goal is agility, in other words proactiveness, foreseeing the future and adapting to it.  Agile teachers, administrators, researchers.  We have to be all of these. 

Why? 

Because life is frenzy, busy, globalised, uncertain, risky.  

The call for efficiency also affects parenthood.  

Yes, one has to be able to get the balance right between work and personal life.  One has to still show commitment to both the academy and the family.  One has to fit everything that both of these jobs entail in one's life. 

How should we do this? 

First, we need to learn to be parents quickly.  Society does not give us much time to learn and fail, or to learn slowly.  I am now writing this blog entry whilst filling up the tub for the twins to take a shower.  I need to do it quickly.  Efficiently.  

Break. 

Twins are now asleep.  So I continue.  

Blogging is also supposed to be a therapy to lift one's mood out of depressin or emotional draining.  An efficient way to store thoughts, to share them with people.  

Second, we need to set clear routines.  Since twins are born (I have talked about this before in this blog). Now the routines include taking them to nursery, childminding, toddler groups, rhyme singing, sports, soft play, parties, etc.  

We are now managing our twins as one friend likes to say.  And this management one has to be efficient.  Otherwise we are not good parents.  We fail.  

For me the big challenge is to deinternalise this value.  To clean myself from expecting to be efficient, perfect, committed, productive and sane all the time.  

I have very bad moments when I feel I have failed.  The world crumbles inside me.  All because my expectations seem to be unrealistic.  

Efficiency is to blame.  But above all we are to blame for believing that this is how we should be in order to be happy. 

Of course we need some degree of efficiency.  But taking it to the extreme is dangerous.  

We need routines but we also need to relate to people,  to have meaningful conversations and experiences.  

I need to learn how not to be efficient.  Any suggestions ?