Using Time Wisely
Time is nature’s way of keeping everything at once. Woody Allen.
Leave it to Woody to put a funny spin on a serious subject. How many times have you caught yourself saying, “I can’t believe how fast time is going.” In this crazy busy era, for many of us, time does seem to be in short supply.
Of all our possessions, along with good health, time is the most precious. The demands of work and your personal lives are ceaseless. Everyone wants some of your time so you need to do all you can to protect and make the best use of it.
The secret of managing time is managing yourself.
There are only 168 hours in the week. How wisely are you using them? Are there ways you could put them to better use? Here are just three:
- Learn to say “no.” It’s difficult, but not impossible. If someone asks you for your time, check your calendar before you commit… and try to work out a time that is better for you, or at least, time shared equally. If they can’t wait, immediately decline. Usually another time can be arranged. Could you text, email or phone instead? At another designated hour?
- Don’t be a slave to the Internet and Social Media. Easier said than done, I know, but give it shot. Designate certain times of the day or evening when the phones are put away.
- Review and constantly update your todo list. Keep asking yourself, “Is what I have scheduled to do moving me away from or towards my objectives(s)? If the answer is no, cancel or reschedule it at a less pressing time.
Time, noted Carl Sandberg, is the coin of your life… be careful lest you let others spend it for you.
Protect your time. Use it wisely because when it’s gone, it’s gone.