“Time is what we want most but what we use worst.” ~ Williams Penn. We all want more time, more time and more time but even when we are given the time, we waste it on things that are less productive.
Everyone on the surface of the earth has been given the maximum of 24 hours in a day. Both the rich and the poor, the successful and unsuccessful have equal amount of time.
The way and places you invest your time determines how impactful your life will be.
I had the privilege to be a part of the gemstone leadership network and every third Saturday of the month, a student forum takes place to ensure that we sit under the counsel of a leadership mentor maximizing our time.
The session with Fela Durotoye was a valuable moment for me where I had to learn, unlearn and relearn the principles of timing in every man’s life.
It was a thought provoking session and every word created a paradigm shift in my mind and I just thought of how I have been wasting my time complaining of how things are not going as planned.
One thing I have come to realize is how much we complain not having enough time to fulfill our dreams, not having enough time to execute our big idea and those plans that look so audacious yet to become a reality.
Alot of things may happen to us without our permission but how we choose to wield it to our benefit is what defines our wisdom. When the COVID sprang up on us all, it was earth shaking. Many businesses would have to shut down and let the year pass them by but they devise alternate means to create solutions and make use of the time they have.
Some resolve to building habits of reading, innovating and creating new ideas instead of complaining.
Whatever happens to you is not in your control but how you choose to respond is yours to decide.
Time is free but priceless. You can either waste it or invest in it. What you choose to do with your time is entirely up to you to decide but whether you like it or not, the time will pass. Invest your time wisely
“Anyone who wastes time is committing suicide and anyone who wastes someone else’s time is committing murder.” ~FELA DUROTOYE. Profound statement right?
What are you doing with your time? We all have 24hrs and you can either waste it by allowing it to pass by or maximize it by investing in productive things that will serve your future.
How you spend your time determines what you get out of life hence the word LIFETIME. Life is time and time is life.
You waste time, you waste life and you are also committing suicide in the process.
The ASUU strike is what happened to us, we don’t have control over it but what you do during this time is all that matters. It is quite sad that most of us, our ID card has graduated before us but while you wait, what are you doing? Are you investing this time well enough? What skills are you learning? How is your growth so far? Will tomorrow be proud of the person you are becoming? Time will tell.
It is in this waiting time that you ought to be working on yourself, investing in your growth and future. Do not spend each time and day idle. Those who look at buildings do not build it. If you stay idle and look at those who are using their time to think, create, innovate solutions, and build a life for themselves, you will never get anything done. Start maximizing your time on earth.
Focus on building and you won’t have the time looking at what you should have.
Everyone do not have everything but everyone have something which is TIME. You have been given a free gift which is, time use it wisely.
How do you maximize your waiting time?
You must take control of your time, love your own life and make the most out of it.
1. PLAN AHEAD: Proper planning prevents poor performance. When you fail to plan, you invariably plan to fail. All successful people did not get to where they are by accident or magic. They made it happen by simply planning and working on that plan.
Put first things first, aligning your goals for the week and taking them bits by bits. Effective planning for maximum productivity starts earlier before the day commence. You must learn to plan your day a night before execution starts in the mornings. Have a To-Do List where all your tasks for the day, weekly goals and monthly goals are checked in and keeps you grounded.
You can make use of the Focus To-Do and schedule your time for each tasks.
2. SET SMART GOALS: Don’t just wish to get things done. Set smart goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound and smash them. Set a target for the day that keeps you accountable. When you smash those goals, you can reward yourself for the day which gives you a boost for the next move.
Your goals must not be so big and unrealistic but must be one that is achievable within the resources that are available to you. This helps you make progress day by day. In setting goals, it is also expedient that you keep yourself accountable first to yourself and then to someone like a coach or a mentor who reviews your progress.
3. KEEP MORNINGS FOR MIT i.e. MOST IMPORTANT TASK: Mark Twain once said “Eat a live frog every morning and nothing worse will happen to you for the rest of the day.”
This is knowing what you ought to do and doing it without procrastination.
I have talked about beating the demon called procrastination before and one way to deal with procrastination is to use effectively your morning for the hardest tasks. For example; if you find reading very hard to do and it’s an habit that you want to cultivate, find time in your schedule to read at least a chapter of a book in the mornings after daily devotion and reflect on what you have read. It helps your mind stay relaxed and more productive.
4. FIND INSPIRATION: Sometimes, tasks can be really boring and hard to push through. Take a break, rejuvenate, refresh yourself and come back again. What I do when I feel down most times because trust me, it’s not all the time you feel like doing it but, you must right?
If it is important, you must find inspiration by watching videos that inspire you to keep going. I find Denzel Washington, Steve Harvey and fearless motivation very inspiring. It wakes up the giant in me and I get back to work.
Inspiration is needed to awaken the soul and mind to work even when the atmosphere seems boring and tiring. Find out what keeps you motivated and going in the midst tough times.
Time is life and life is time. A time wasted is a life wasted. Invest your time wisely for that is the unit of your destiny. A time well invested in the right direction produces great results. Read great books, watch inspirational videos, attend conferences and seminars, study the word and grow spiritually, work on your dreams, master your skills, and the world will be your stage.
