Whose Time Is It?
Remember when you were young and you had fun things to do, games to play, or friends to see and, after dinner, your mom said it’s your turn to do the dishes!
Your plans were not going as well as hoped. You did not have the time you thought you had.
Sounds like life. We all have the same number of hours in the day. However, they do not always seem to be our hours.
So, who gets to use your time? I consider the use of your time as an important element in your building a better mindset for money. How much time will you set aside for that purpose?
Count Them Up
Pay attention to your day. Some time is important to spend with others, mainly family. Teach others what you know. However, take the time to make sure you know. Make time for learning.
Make note of your day and those that are in your sphere of influence. Sometimes, we need boundaries to make things go better. Make sure you are helping when help is needed but not doing all the work.
We all need time for ourselves. Ask yourself if there are those who are taking up your necessary time to satisfy a selfish want.
Maybe you can find more time when you add it all up.
Make Looking at Time a Habit
Here is what Aristotle thought about the use of habits. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Deductive reasoning.
I pulled that quote from Stephen R. Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. He notes that “habit is…the intersection of knowledge, skill, and desire.” And, since a habit is formed by repeatedly doing something, “creating a habit requires work in all three dimensions.”
You will make better use of your time by forming good habits. Will you be proactive or reactive regarding forming good habits? “Proactivity faces reality and works on a solution. Rather than just being positive and hoping all goes well.”
Covey notes under the heading of Four Generations of Time Management that this is how you might progress:
- Notes and lists.
- Calendars and appointment books.
- Prioritization, clarifying values, comparing the relative worth of activities based on their relationship to those values.
- Manage ourselves, not time.
We can get caught up with what must be done that we lose sight of the importance of relationships. Covey notes, “…focus on preserving and enhancing relationships and on accomplishing results, maintaining the Production / Production Capability Balance.”
Not Every Day Is the Same
There is a good reason we plan. We are not on our own when it comes to time. Others are involved. A plan gives us a reason to be at an agreed upon place and time.
Not every day will be plannable. Nor will every day have the time you need to do what you want.
When I was young, I did not see things that way. And, as a result, I got very angry when things did not go as planned. I failed to see that I could not plan every day and every hour.
We must be flexible in our planning. Some time can be set aside for specific things. However, events could cause you to change your plans. Yes, you might have to re-schedule your reading time or record your favorite show on TV.
So, How Will I Ever Be a Successful Time Manager?
To be successful at managing time is to be aware of things around you that need attention. Give value to what needs to be done first. That comes from inside. Those values are a part of your dreams and form your goals.
I will close with a quote from another book, Rich Habits Poor Habits, by Tom Corley, CPA and Michael Yardney. Based on a survey of both rich and poor clients, they enumerated several habits, both good and bad, and reflect on the effect on those who formed those habits.
Under Rich Habit Number 3, page 165, “Successful people engage in self-improvement every day. For the most part this involves reading…Successful people see time as the most valuable asset they possess…They coordinate their dreams and goals with daily self-improvement.”
As you consider how you will manage your time, do some reading. Allow yourself to dream as you define what is valuable to you. Set some goals that will bring you some sense of fulfillment.
Be proactive. Work on yourself. You can change for the better. Those around you will be better for your efforts.
Be consistent. Be flexible. Be positive. Show your family they are important, and you will get the quiet time you need.