5 Things You Should Know About Time
Five Things You Should Know About Time
In the past weeks, the issue of busyness came to my attention because every one of my 6 coachees is struggling with busyness. Busyness is about fighting against time. You may think that it is natural for everyone to struggle with time because there is always a need to want more time. It seems that there is so much to do and yet so little time. Unfortunately, the fact is that you cannot negotiate with time to have more time. Time just slips us. It was like yesterday that we celebrated perhaps one of the quietest Christmas and New Year of our lives. It was as if like yesterday that Covid-19 was declared a pandemic. And 2020 like many other years ended up with so many things left unfinished or yet to be started. Remember that whatever that you are dealing with you must deal with time. 5 things to remember when you deal with time.
- Make time your friend. Do not attempt to beat the time. Accept that time is always running ahead of you so tell yourself you will take your time. This means you must learn to accept that you can only do so much within a given time. So, have the courage not to commit to unrealistic timelines. In doing so you are giving time the respect that it is due.
- Distinguish everything that you think you must do into those that you can influence against those that you are concerned about. In doing so you respect the time that you have. Take one more step for things that you can influence divide them between those that are important and those that are urgent. Prioritize those that are urgent. Deal with the most urgent first. These steps help you to see the trees from the forest and which trees are in front of you and in your way. You cannot deal with the trees at the end of the forest if you do not deal with the trees in front of you. “Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.” (Stephen Covey)
- Remember you do not have control over what you want to do with your time because you have stakeholders in your life. You have your bosses who demand your time, your colleagues, your spouses or partners, your children, your parents, friends, and so forth. That is why time management systems do not work because you never know when which stakeholder will call on you. Know the stakeholders who can dictate your time because they what is of importance and what is of concern. They can determine what is important versus what is urgent. Your stakeholders can make time your enemy.
- If things are not going your way, keep calm and let time pass. Pray: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
- Time is not only meant for work. Stephen Covey reminds us to take time to sharpen the saw, meaning to preserve and enhancing the greatest asset that you have and that is — YOU! Unless you take time to take care of yourself no one would take care of you. When you take time to take care of yourself then you have rested and ready for the next mile in your journey. Abraham Lincoln says, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
Happy to have a chat with you about your thoughts on how you can make time your friend at [email protected]
About the Author
Dr JEREMY GWEE
I am currently director and principal trainer in ITOL Asia. My mission is to promote training and occupational learning. I believe that training can be deployed more effectively as an organizational transformational tool. I also believe that through occupational learning everyone is a trainer because everyone has unique experiences, knowledge and skills that enable them to train others differently.
I hold a BA, MBA and doctorate in transformational leadership. I am trained in positive psychology and qualified in ACTA. My approach to training is to equip learners use transformational tools to enable them to make their training more holistic. I employ a variety of tools in the training to fit the needs of the learners. These tools include, Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), Gallup Strength Finder and Business Profiling, VIA Character Strength, LEGO Serious Play, The Organizational Zoo, Action Learning, DISC and Points of You.
