Good Morning, Friends!
I wish I had a dollar for every time I said, “I don’t have enough time.” I would be a wealthy man. But was there not enough time, or did I choose to use my time for something else, or was it another excuse for not getting something done?
Have you ever said, “where did this day go” while feeling incomplete, lacking accomplishment? Often when I am stuck in this lack of time conundrum, I think of the lyrics to Pink Floyd’s song “Time”:
“Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
Fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way.”
How many moments exist in a dull day? How many hours have we squandered and wasted in an offhand way? Once a moment is wasted, a moment is gone. We will never get it back, no matter how hard we try. Wishing for it does not help.
Unfortunately, time is explicitly finite. No matter how hard we try, we cannot create more time. We can only make better decisions on how we use our time. We can choose to turn off our television sets and spend some one-on-one time with someone special. We could implement electronics-free times within our homes and invest in quality family time. We could schedule several times during the day to check email versus checking every thirty seconds.
Let’s face the brutal truth; we probably have enough time to accomplish everything meaningful to us. We need to learn how to use the time that we have more effectively. I had to teach myself to say “No” to lesser important things. I struggled with placing value on and prioritizing activities. Don’t get me wrong, now and again, I will binge watch some dumb reality series on Netflix.
Nobody is perfect.
All you and I can do is make better decisions. Because as the adage goes, “time and tide wait for none.” As we understand the value of time, especially our time, we start to succeed and gain better quality in all aspects of our lives. So, join me and stop frittering our time away.
[VIDEO] Time Management Matrix
In the early 1990s, a mentor gave me the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People written by Stephen R. Covey. It was the first self-help/professional development book that I read. And I fell in love with the character ethics principle and leadership from the inside out. Since then, I have read 7 habits more times than I can count.
One of my favorite habits is time management. Here is a great introduction or refresher to Covey’s Time Management Matrix.
[VIDEO] Flashback
Doing some research on time and energy management, I came across this video clip. My good friend Steve McClatchy, an author and keynote speaker, gave a “tear the house down” presentation at Atrion’s 2016 Always On Symposium. Oh, those were the days! Who remembers the Always On Symposium?
Steve is signing his book Decide – Work Smarter, Reduce Your Stress and Lead by Example at our Always On Symposium in this video. This clip provides a glimpse of Steve’s Pain (vs) Gain time management methodology. Something that I use almost daily.
If you have not read Decide, purchase his book online. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!
Manage Your Energy
Is your life getting any easier?
If you are like me, your workload is increasing at a breakneck pace, and the amount of activity is simply exhausting. Many of us long for more hours in the day to get more “stuff” done. Would we fill up that extra time with meaningful work, build better relationships, spend more time with our families, or give that extra time to ourselves? I think not.
The secret to a healthier and wealthier life is not managing our time but shifting our focus to managing our energy. With more energy, we embrace the world with more vigor and subsequently accomplish more.
Learn more from Tony Schwartz and his Harvard Business Review article – “Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time.”
[MUSIC] Don’t Worry
After a tough couple of months, this song seems so appropriate.
Reggae music was never in heavy rotation in my musical library. But, I was a fan of Bob Marley, one of the pioneers of reggae; his musical career was marked by fusing reggae, ska, and rocksteady elements. I have always admired his distinctive vocals and songwriting style.
This week his song, Three Little Birds, is in heavy rotation – “Cause every little thing gonna be all right.”
Always Look Up
Mahira Hafeez Khan was born in December 1984 and became a well-known Pakistani actress. I love this quote and the power of hope. May you always be looking up.
“No matter how tough my life was, I was always looking up at the sky and wishing for good things.” – Mahira Khan
Warmest Regards,
