On the first business day of 2010, I thought that it would be appropriate to refer to some interesting work related statistics compiled by Dr. Donald Wetmore regarding Time Management and Personal Productivity.

• The average working person spends less than 2 minutes per day in meaningful communication with their spouse or "significant other".
• 80% of employees do not want to go to work on Monday morning. By Friday, the rate only drops to 60%.
• The average person uses 13 different methods to control and manage their time.
• The average person gets 1 interruption every 8 minutes, or approximately 7 an hour, or 50-60 per day. The average interruption takes 5 minutes, totaling about 4 hours or 50% of the average workday. 80% of those interruptions are typically rated as "little value" or "no value" creating approximately 3 hours of wasted time per day.
• On an average day, there are 17 million meetings in America.
• By taking 1 hour per day for independent study, 7 hours per week, 365 hours in a year, one can learn at the rate of a full-time student. In 3-5 years, the average person can become an expert in the topic of their choice, by spending only one hour per day.
• 95% of the books in this country are purchased by 5% of the population. 95% of self-improvement books, audio tapes, and video tapes purchased are not used.
• 97% of workers, if they became financially independent, would not continue with their current employer or in their current occupation.
• 20% of the average workday is spent on "crucial" and "important" things, while 80% of the average workday is spent on things that have "little value" or "no value".
• In the last 20 years, working time has increased by 15% and leisure time has decreased by 33%.
• A person who works with a "messy" or cluttered desk spends, on average, 1 1/2 hours per day looking for things or being distracted by things or approximately 7 1/2 per workweek. "Out of sight; out of mind." When it's in sight, it's in mind.
• 9 out of 10 people daydream in meetings.
• 60% of meeting attendees take notes to appear as if they are listening.
• The average worker sends and receives 190 messages per day.
• 49% of workers in America complain that they are on a treadmill.
• 25% of sick days are taken for illness. 75% of sick days are taken for other reasons.
• Taking 5 minutes per day, 5 days per week to improve one's job will create 1,200 little improvements to a job over a 5 year period.
• 1 out of 3 workers changes jobs every year.
• 1 out of 5 people moves every year.
• 70% of American workers desire to own their own business.
• 75% of American workers complain that they are tired.
• When someone is asking for our time for a meeting, 80% of the time, there is alternate date and time that will be acceptable.