I find myself very conscious of time. It is definitely something in my nature – not just something I have learnt. If you want to really mess with me and get me frustrated, play around with my time management. My angriest moments in life can be directly linked to respecting time.
You may think I’m ridiculous, but I have been surprised by how different people view time management. The nature of my employment and the level of volunteer involvement in my life means I need to be vigilant with my time. I have failed often, and learnt a whole lot about how to manage the different demands and expectations placed on me. The secret for me has been in how I see time.
Time is the most valuable commodity we have
Time is money. Or rather – time is currency. An economy with an unlimited amount of cash crashes. The value of money lies in the fact that there is a limit to it. In the same way, our time is valuable because there is a limit to it. We will die one day. It could be in a few seconds, or it could be in a hundred years, but when our time is up there is nothing more we can do. That alone should be enough to help us focus on being effective with the responsibility and influence we have right now.
Time is about rhythm
Every clock ticks. Every second is equal to the one that came before it. In the same way, I find that people see time as a static structure that needs to be adhered to. At the moment, other than writing these blogs, I also do voiceovers for foreign productions, volunteer for church, and am the music director for a music school. There is no way that my schedule this week is going to look vaguely familiar to last week’s one. So, partly because of necessity, and partly because of experience, I had to adjust my rigid approach to time.
The fact is, every day we have a certain amount of boxes to tick. That will never change. But the order of those boxes can change. Instead of viewing your time as a pie that gets consumed piece by piece, you could rather see it as a set of blocks that need to line up between two barriers. No matter how you arrange those blocks, you will be able to fit everything in. So if you run late because of traffic it doesn’t mean you can’t finish that email between dinner and the dishes.
Time comes down to communication
The truth is, no one can live according to their own schedule without it somehow being affected by someone else. It is impossible to blindly live past other people and not get bumped in a few directions. So the only way we can make sure we are all moving forwards is through clear communication. I believe the people who are winning in life are those who communicate the best. If you are struggling to pull things together, can I encourage you to up the standard of communication? Whether it’s emails, honest conversations about your responsibilities, a cry for help from those around you, or a clear set of expectations from those you work with – there is always an area where you can get better.
Time makes things meaningful
My girlfriend’s love language is quality time. Emphasis on quality. When you value time, you value what that time is used for as well. In many ways, God created time for us to keep perspective and see what really matters in life. My best use of time – before earning money, seeing my girlfriend, impacting someone’s day or improving my skill – is time spent with God. Everything starts from that time each day. It frames my life. If you would like to find out how it could bless yours too, click on the link below.