Time management

This is a skill which I know I am not brilliant at. However, I still want to vent some of my frustration about what comes with my job.

You see, technically, if I only work during my "normal" working hours, I have only an average of 2.75 hours desk time per day. Those 2.75 hours are not consecutive. It's usually a half hour, then an hour, then another hour separately.

I have all sorts of errants and ad-hoc duties to do. Not to mention the ongoing projects. I was told the even the most experience workers need the same amount of desk time as their "presentations" time. Those "presentations" take up about 3 to 3.5 hours a day. So where on earth do I get that extra hour or so? I am certainly not those more experienced workers, so I need even more time than that.

Some may say that I must have wasted that extra hour during my 7.5 hours (lunch not included) of work. The answer is, not really, I have a mandatory waiting time of 30 mins and about 30 mins for all the walking around and answering endless questions.

How do you think I can manage all that work that I am supposed to do? Well, like most others, I take work home. In fact, I do all my projects at home. It takes an average of 3 hours per day to do it. I also extend my working hours for about 1.5 hours per day voluntarily. My 5-day work week is really a 6-day one. I put in about 66-70 hours per week.

Some say that's not unusual, but many actually still think that I get off work early, and that's clearly not the case. For those who knew me from another country, guys, I get a salary here, just like most people. I get no overtime pay.

The next time you think that I am better off for having more holidays, please think again, I don't get to choose when I like my holidays. They are always during the peak seasons. I also work during a significant portion of my "holidays". My "sick-days" actually requires a doctor's note. I can't be late, at all.

Many of you get to office at 9 am, but you may only start working efficiently after your first coffee at 9:30. By then I already did 3 of my "presentations". I start at 8:15, sharp, everyday.

Some say I got a slightly better pay than others with career progression. I won't argue you on that, but please look at what kind of work I have to deal with.

As for my time management, I don't seem to have too much time for my "life". It used to be that I didn't have a "life". I just survived. Now, I am not doing too much better. I still routinely sleep 6-7 hours a day, pull a late-nighter (sleep at 04:30 and wake up at 07:30) about twice a month. Obviously, my health suffers, but with the challenge that I am dealing with, I doubt if I can do better soon enough.