Respect time or time will not respect you.
When you find yourself scrambling and running out of time to meet your deadlines, you know that time is not respecting you.
Successful people respect time by productively using it, even in 5 minute intervals. Many a presenters speak publicly at webinars/events while commuting/walking to their next destination. Bill Gates once flew to a high school, gave a speech for 30 minutes and left soon after. Of course, we are not Bill Gates and do not have resources to fly for a 30 minute meeting, but the event underscores the fact that successful people continue to do what they have to do and still find time to do what they want to do.
You do not need to wait for new years day or even the next dawn to start using time productively. Every tick of the clock is the first time that tick is happening in your life. So in effect, every minute is an opportunity for you to make a fresh start.
Start my measuring time. See how and where you are spending your time. Do this for a few days to identify patterns and then start increasing your time spent on tasks that would help you get where you want to be. These tasks do not have to be work related, they could be personal. Have short term (1-2 days) and long-term (1-2 months) goals always in sight when prioritizing tasks. It is very easy to be busy, but are you busy doing the right tasks? Or are you busy doing tasks that do not require much effort or have low expected value.
Start getting up early in the mornings. You might think, what will I do if I get up at 5 am? You will be surprised how happy and productive you will be if you do so. Some of the tasks that keep on getting pushed will actually start getting done. You will feel more in control of your life, and what greater self-affirmation there is than that!
Do you remember that grasshopper and the ant story? The grasshopper spent the entire summer playing music and entertaining others, while the ants spent the entire summer collecting food for the winter. When the winter came, the ants hunkered down in their homes, relaxing and spending time with friends and family. The grasshopper had nowhere to go, no food to eat, and relied on charity of the ants. So like ants, with proper time management and priortization, you can have your cake and eat it too. Whether its time to play or to work should be dictated by your priorities, not by the external factors. Know that you have full control of your mind, should you choose to exercise it.
Concurrently, don’t forget to prioritze spending time with people who respect time as much as you do. After all, you don’t want osmosis to derail you!
A Mothers Chronicle 