Chore and peace

Released 12/06/2009

Matthew Jane considers the advantages of a peaceful summer

As a child I had a favourite book, called Five Minutes Peace. It was all about a mother elephant who just wanted to have five minutes to herself but was continually interrupted by her attention demanding offspring. At the time I was, of course, on the side of the children, seeking non-stop entertainment and fun. How times have changed - I now side with the mother.

I imagine it is much the same for business managers around the country - a stack of papers perched on the desk, an inbox that continually fills and a to-do list that reads like a novel. So much to do, and all you crave is five minutes peace to do it in.

The knocks on the door, continual distractions and the new challenges that present themselves throughout the day can result in jobs being pushed back to the last minute and planning can seem like a forgotten luxury.

Fortunately, the manic corridors of schools will soon be quiet. The long summer holiday offers a great opportunity to catch up on procrastinated tasks and get ahead of yourself before the cycle starts again in the winter term.

While the school is empty of children and the staff are not knocking on your door, consider these six weeks your five minutes peace, and imagine how much work you can get done in that time.

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