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So what’s with all the talk about saving time anyway? What’s the point of trying to get things done in 30 minutes?

When I think about the point of doing things more quickly, I think of the last lines of one of my favorite books, Cheaper by the Dozen (Just for the record, though I love the movie with Steve Martin, nothing beats the original book, published decades ago).

The father of the clan of a dozen children, Frank Gilbreth was an efficiency expert. and when people would ask him what he was so intent on shaving a minute here and a minute there for, he’d answer, “For work, if you love that best…For education, for beauty, for art, for pleasure…For mumblety-peg, if that’s where your heart lies.”

I’ve read that book at least ten times over the past three decades, and that line brings tears to my eyes every single time (and I am NOT a crier!). He got it — he knew that the why was an individual choice, and whether someone was using their “extra time” to weed their garden or rock babies in the NICU or do crossword puzzles or solve world hunger, it didn’t matter. What mattered is that you were making time for the things that you loved. THAT is what makes this world a better place.

So if you’re wondering about what your motivation for speeding things up is, look to where your heart lies. i want you to spend less time on chores and get more done so you can enjoy your family more and have the opportunity to do what fulfills you, whatever that might be. Even if that’s mumblety-peg.

P.S. If you’re wondering what my mumblety-peg is, part of my “saved” time is spent scrapbooking. It’s a hobby (obsession?) I love because of the way I can combine story-telling, creativity, and two of my favorite things, paper and pens! If you’d like to see more of my scrapbooking, you’re welcome at Layout A Day. You won’t be surprised to know that one of my specialties is 30-minute scrapbook pages!

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