There was a day, I was walking through my backyard when I took note of some ants carrying a cumb of bread. In observing them I realized how skillfully they maneuvered the terrain of the 4ft long they were journeying across to get to their ant hill on the other side, it was a sight to behold. After about 5 minutes they finally made it, a monumental feat it was, but then it was over. There was no procrastination in their journey and no delay is included, it was all about the task at hand. I sat there a while longer and just started to watch things move and change around me. Birds flew by, leaf’s fell from the trees, flies buzzed by my ears and the wind caressed my skin. I was having a moment of appreciation for everything that is life and in doing so the world seemingly paused in front of me For a split second, a grinding hault. Here is what that experience taught me. Everything is happening now. Make haste while the sun shines because one day it will surely set on your fire.
If you make hay while the sun shines, it means that you take advantage of the chance to do something while conditions are good. In other words, you make good use of your time or make the most of an opportunity while you have the chance to do such thing. Yeah I know, not the sort of thing you want to be reminded of just like bills and taxes, that’s until the government seizes and the bill collector comes knocking for you.
I’ll have to contradict myself to get my point across but bear with me , you’ll understand in the end. We’d like to think we have time, yes that fake unit of measurement which governs so much of our lives: birth, schooling, career, profession, retirement, and even death, cause death can call upon anyone anytime without being invited.
What we call ‘time’ is just a method of measuring the ‘perpetual change and motion’ in the life cycle. I know, the societal conditioning is screaming bullshit but hear me out, let’s take a walk. All that exists is now, literally. There is no tomorrow, yesterday or even next week. Things change, cells multiply and cells die. What you remember as yesterday is a comparison of thoughts. What you think of tomorrow is the pre-empting of thoughts-expectations. We are conditioned to focus on time, milestones and goals all the while forgetting that now is the time, now is the goal, now is the milestone, there is no tomorrow anywhere. So stop procrastinating and start your career now, build up your dream, set a goal and focus. Keep on chasing, time wait for no one.
Yesterday is a memory and tomorrow is an expectation. Life is today, it is but a day. You were born today, you live today and you’ll die today. Everything is happening right now in front of your eyes, you are the one that will open your eyes and see the reality of life.
If something is not worth your time, if you do it, it is time spent poorly, and before you know, the time as already gone by your age.
Your time is valuable. It’s a limited, finite resource that, once used, can never be reclaimed. Yet too many people waste it with little or no thought to the ramifications. By getting a full understanding of how your time is spent and spending the time to ensure you understand your priorities, you will be able to stop wasting time and live a more meaningful life of yourself.
Learn how not to waste your time and live a more productive and happy life.
Here are some steps for you to live a meaningful life…
(1) Prioritize your day.
Often we are more efficient when we are the most busy. Take the holidays or the covid 19 break for example. We have a list as long as Santa’s and seemingly no time to get it done, yet we do. So let’s learn from that and prioritize tasks like it’s just before your holidays. Create a list containing everything that must be done that day. That will help you prioritize your day and not waste time on things that don’t matter to you.
2. Create a list every morning. Write it down. And stick to it.
Planning out your day and the steps that need to be taken for it to be successful is the quickest way to stop wasting time. You need a visual reminder of what needs to be done and how much has been completed. This can’t be done “in your head”. Be clear on what you need to do. It needs to go on a sheet of paper, a calendar, in your phone, emailed to yourself, or placed on your desk each and every day. Most people don’t realize they are wasting time until it’s too late for them to catch up. Plan ahead and ensure you know exactly what you need to be done each and every day, before you found yourself at old age one day and it may be to late for you to start all over again.
Ask yourself
How Fulfilled Are You In Your Life?
Take the Full Life Assessment by yourself and grade yourself.
3. Value your time and learn to say no.
Make sure you value all your available time. Helping others is a great thing, but stop pleasing people at the expense of your own productive time, there is no way you can satisfy a human being. Ensure that your lists and tasks get done before helping others. By focusing on staying productive in the tasks that you do, you will find yourself with much more time to help others without cutting into your productivity.
4. Take time to find out what you do well and what needs improvements on.
Be proactive about becoming more efficient. Track your time for a few days and find out the pattern you spend time on. Write down everything.
If you spend 5 minutes checking Facebook, write it down. You may find that those 5-minute distractions add up to a much larger chunk of wasted time than you expect. Be sure to look for trends. Did a task take longer on a certain day? Did you find that you’re more productive in the morning or just after lunch? Find the time when you’re most focused and the tasks that need the most concentration, and put them together for a better purpose.
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5. Understand all ramifications of major decisions.
Major decisions, changes and projects can seem like a great decision, and often these changes need to be made. But large, sweeping changes often lead to inefficient management of your time and wasting time. Take the time to think through and project out how these decisions will play out in the long run. Who will be affected, and what might the response be? By understanding the ramifications, you can better steer clear of the pitfalls of productivity that a new major change can bring.
6. Keep your mind sharp…
A healthy person of mind and body is a productive person in practice. Learn something new every day, read a book or study a second language. Don’t give up habits that help you warm up; rather, continually work out your brain and keep on doing research each and every day of your life.
You’ll be more productive and perceptive.
7. And your body fit.
The same is true of your body. Spending 30 minutes, three times a week can do wonders for your energy levels. An active person will be a more productive person. You’ll sleep better and your time awake will be more focused and productive.
Never forget how valuable your time really is. Taking time to reflect about your current processes, focus on planning your future endeavors and taking care of your body and mind will continue to make your time more productive and your life more fulfilling of your dreams.
Stay Focused At Work/Studies.
Easily And Get Things Done Fast without Procrastinating.
If you want to stop struggling and live life to the fullest.
Have a reason
Make sure you have a specific reason to get up in the morning. You probably have no problem waking up very early on vacation or during holidays. My goal every morning is to bring that excitement to the day by doing something fun for myself.
( By Oluwaseyi Funmi)
