Faff no fiddle for focused

A few of us were enjoying a wide-ranging discussion over a drink at a city pub recently – at least, we were when we could hear ourselves over the bloody music! The conversation turned to how hard we’re all working. “Oh lord, not that again,” I thought. “Turn the music up someone.”

After some tiresome declarations of long days and overflowing in-trays, without fanfare a member of the group mentioned that he started work at 7.30 in the morning, sometimes earlier. “I spend so long at work that I have to wear a name tag at home,” he said as he nursed his pint of Kilkenny ale.

I braced myself for a tale of woe: the burden of punishing workloads, the personal sacrifices, the resentment of carrying his incompetent managers, the lack of recognition. But having made his little joke, he returned to his beer.

Naturally the others felt obliged to pipe up that they too could often be seen at their desk at 7.30. But I was interested in my low-key confrere’s early start time and the fact that he made so little of the fact. So I asked him, why so early?

“I love it,” he said. “That time of the morning is the best time of the day. It’s a beautiful walk to the station, I cut across a nature reserve, the birdlife is fantastic, and I always get a seat on the train. When I get to work it’s dead quiet, which is just how I like it. I enjoy my coffee in peace, I read the papers, go through my emails, check my Twitter account, pay some bills, get my desk in order and generally just faff around until it’s time to get stuck into work.”

When he used to turn up at work at 8.30 or 9, he explained, there was no time to ease into the day and it always seemed that the day rushed frantically to knock-off time. “By the end of the day everything always seemed to be a blur and I was never satisfied that I’d actually achieved anything,” he said. By starting early, he added, he was more relaxed, more focused and actually looked forward to the rest of the day.

So what time does he knock off? “Whenever it feels right and depending what I’ve got on my plate,” he said. “Sometimes at 5, sometimes later.”

I liked the sound of that. Arriving at work early to have a bit of a faff. Not to mention getting a seat on the train. And he certainly looked happy and relaxed.

We should all reset our alarm clocks and give ourselves some faffing around time at the office.

Do you agree? Write and tell me your views.

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