Ask a mother about the importance of time when she is about to give birth. Ask a student about the importance of time when he or she failed an exam. Ask the importance of time to an Olympic runner who prepares himself for the biggest competition of his life. Ask the importance of time to an editor of a magazine who has to meet deadlines. Ask the importance of time to a patient who just learned he or she does not have much time to live. Ask the importance of time to someone who is preparing to pass the biggest interview of his or her life. Ask a business owner or an entrepreneur about the importance of time when he or she goes all in to close a major deal.
Time is an illusion. – Albert Einstein
This quote has been made famous by the renowned physicist and leaves us with all sorts of interesting interpretations. According to me, it is an illusion because it is perceived but it is not absolute. In one way, it would still exist even if watches did not enable us, humans, to form habits around it. On the other, If we did not have the capacity to measure it, sunsets, sunrises and seasons would not have any importance at all. Or would they?
You get the drift.
You see, time might be just an illusion, but its role in life is important, it helps everything and everyone move on. Our perception is that we all have the same twenty-four hours to prioritize what is most important to us and we have the right to manage it, the way they see fit. The problem here is the word manage.
Either you run the day, or the day runs you. – Jim Rohn
We all lead busy and crazy lives. For most of us, it is quite difficult to juggle between work, family, business and recreational activities. What do we do then? We try to manage it as best as we can only to realize that there is never enough time to get everything done. That is a vicious and never ending cycle that most of us get into.
Although I do not have the most precise and accurate solutions to make it easier, here are a few tips on how to control, dominate, master, command and squeeze every minute of every day instead of managing it.
- Identify your time wasters. Upgrade your conviction and take necessary steps to control your time. To succeed in your professional and personal life, you need to eliminate all those wasteful activities that won’t grow you or your business. By doing that, your agenda will get cleared, and you will be able to use that time more wisely.
- Learn to say NO. Don’t be afraid or feel guilty to say no to things that won’t make you evolve as a person, bring you satisfaction or create business opportunities for yourself. You are not everyone’s savior in this world. Help others but focus on the things that will benefit you in the short and long run. This will create a sense of urgency and will make you a better decision maker.
- Commit to success. When you know where you are going, it will automatically reflect on the way you use your time. Being driven and having a strong purpose will shred all laziness and procrastination. Continuous daily actions and a burning desire towards your goals will not leave much time on the table for anything else.
There you go, three practical tips right there.
Stop wishing you have more time to yourself, and commit to carving it into your schedule. No one is busy in this world; it is all about priorities. Instead of always blaming people or circumstances for the lack of time, it is better to change our approach and live a better and more fulfilled life.
What else can we do to maximize our time to be more productive and help one another in the marketplace? I would love to hear your suggestions.
Thank you for reading,