There’s a Moody Blues song with these lyrics: “Time waits for no one. No, not even you.”
While the Moody Blues are an amazing group and the song is wonderful, the line is profound and poignant, especially in this era of smart phones and instant gratification. Even though the instant gratification term is seldom used any more, the syndrome remains. We, as human beings, want answers and information right now. We want to act now and be done with whatever it was we were doing so we can move on to the next project or activity.
Through it all, time does not wait for anything; the clock keeps ticking.
Stop for a minute or two and answer these questions:
1) Did you make any mistakes today because you were trying to move too quickly?
2) Did you ignore an important person in your life because you didn’t have time for them?
3) Has your day been extraordinarily stressful because you can’t seem to get everything done?
If you’ve been honest with yourself and answered “Yes!” to any of these questions, it’s time to slow down a bit and take time to think.
Consider whether you have too many tasks on your “To Do” list and how many of them are simply “crap” you put on the list so you don’t forget to do them. Checking your E-mail is a good example. Does it really need to be on the list when you know you’re going to check it several times a day any way? It’s like putting “Take a Shower” on your “To Do” list. It’s routine and a task you’re not likely to forget, so why stress yourself out by adding it to the daily tasks?
Here’s the key: When you make up your list of priorities for the day, take the time to think about what are the top five that MUST get done. It might only be one or two tasks, and that’s okay. You will have accomplished your objective if those two to five items are finished by the end of the day. Think, too, about what’s most important. It might be taking your son or daughter to a ball game. Yes, that’s important, even to a busy corporate executive.
Your work will always be there, unless you can delegate it to someone else (remember, you still have ultimate responsibility), but your children grow up and leave the nest before you know it.
Think about what’s most important to you, personally, as well as professionally. Time with your spouse doing what she or he likes to do. Time with your children doing whatever. Time with yourself just thinking, reading, napping, hiking, exercising, enjoying time alone, or listening to the Moody Blues.
Time is not going to wait for you to make up your mind. The time you took to read this blog is gone, and it’s not coming back. We hope you found some value in it, and that it was worth the time spent. If you’d like help managing your time, click on the slogan below and give us a call.
