I knew algebra had to come in handy somewhere!

___I have officially decided that I need to derive a formula for the amount of time gained or lost by using a new technology or methodology. Why? Because with such a formula I will be able to tell ahead of time whether learning something new is a worthwhile effort or just something to do for fun.
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___To that end, I first define the primitive parts of the equation:
C: current time spent on a task in hours/day (total time spent)
M: minimum time spent on a task in hours/day (time spent working)
A: available time in hrs/day (free time)
E: percent efficiency increase of new method (benefit of the new method)
L: time to proficiency in hours (learning time)
N: time until the new method needs to be mastered in days (deadline to completion)
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___With those I can then find:
W = C - M: time not spent on work (wasted time)
R = W + A: total free time (the real amount of free time)
G = M * E: efficiency increase in hours (time gained)
P = L / N: the number of hours per day needed for learning (practice time)
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___And once I have that I just compare:
G > W: Do you gain more time than you are wasting?
P < R: Do you have the time to practice?