Just for fun, let’s start with a test.

Ask ten acquaintances for some spare change, and chances are, most will happily toss you a coin or two! However, if you ask the same group for a slice of their precious time, prepare for a new level of excuses! The change in body language, voice inflection, and facial expressions are like a magic act. You get a lot of “I’m too busy!” “I wish I had more time!” “My calendar’s got more commitments than a reality TV star!” Welcome to the hustle and bustle of modern life, where time is the ultimate hot commodity! Let’s face it: we all seem to need more time. That is the reality of the age in which we live.

The illusion of convenience.

The irony is that all the conveniences of our lives swallow up our time, and that number is ever-increasing. We live in a self-managed world. We manage our apps, maintain our phones, pay our bills online, constantly monitor our health in real-time, and so on. Our once-service economy has become self-service, and we must do all the little tasks to keep up. More and more, it is not the lions or tigers that seem to be our biggest fear but more than a few pesky paper cuts.

In the delightful read, “Becoming the Boss of You,” there’s a burning question: Who’s the master of our time and our shenanigans? Our first instinct is to pump our fists and shout, “Me, of course!” But let’s be real—most of us don’t pencil out the details of our day to take charge of our time and, by extension, our lives. The result is a life with less living, like a hamster wheel of chaos! (Try saying that last sentence five times in a row without tripping over your tongue!)

Here’s the crux of the matter: While we believe we have it better than ever, and in many respects, we do, a fundamental challenge persists, and that is that everything unfolds in time. Even the most romantic soul cannot nurture love without the gift of time. Likewise, the most dedicated altruists will struggle to accomplish a single charitable act if they lack the time to commit. Time is the magical elixir—it has always been and will forever remain so.

Opening your magic box of potential

Our potential and our dreams take time to develop. The necessities of life also take time and can stunt us of the time we need to get on the path of growth of what we truly want. Becoming aware of how we structure our time is a start. Our ability to manage our time is like a seed, it will sprout if we nurture the process. It can blossom to be a plant for some. For others, a full-grown tree. For some, it will grow into a giant Oak that can withstand the strong winds and other life forces. Unfortunately, for some, it will not even sprout.

A good way to think about the importance of controlling our time and lives is similar to the New Testament parable of the Sower in the Gospel of Matthew. Many things can disrupt its growth, but if we do the right things, we will get the right results—big results. If you have not ever done so, read Matthew 13 and give it some thought. This is a great primer to understanding the importance of thinking of the principles of managing time as a seed that needs the right environment.

We can learn to manage time to help us.

We know that our animal brains keep us locked into the motivation of avoiding pain and seeking pleasure. This is good because it keeps us alive and extends the survival instinct. However, the nemesis of our day-to-day lives is no longer the jungle snakes or jaguars. More likely, 1000 paper cuts hinder our fulfillment in life. Mastering this is important. To quote Become the Boss of You, “Shit Happens!” As Longfellow so wonderfully expressed, “Into each life, some rain must fall, some days must be dark and dreary.”

This leads us to a major reason to level up our time-management game: major challenges are like surprise party crashers—they’re bound to show up! Plus, getting ready for life’s disasters shouldn’t happen when the shit hits the fan; that falls into the category of too little too late.

The good news is that we all possess the basics of time management, so we all have a start. However, it’s smart to remember that in this day and age, more is needed. As you start to master your time and your life, you will eliminate some of these paper cuts. The cool part is that for every cut you avoid, you also gain the time you would have spent cleaning and bandaging the wounds. Eliminating enough of these gives us the “Spare Time” to grow and enrich our lives. To do what we want to do. To be what we would like to be.

The central focus of this article is different from how capable you are of viewing or mastering time. That is covered in the book “Becoming the Boss of You.” If you have not already read that work, it is worth it. Once you master just a few principles, you stop hearing the worn-out phrase we all say to ourselves, “I wish I had the time.”

Finding the Time to Find the Time.

For now, accept that you have the human nobility, the time, and the ability to take control of your life. After all, those who feel they never have enough time have the same time as others. Managing time is managing our lives. Time management helps us avoid those pesky distractions, and we have many.  Remember, don’t let life get you too distracted to manage the distractions of life. If you do pick up this book, you may find out the following:

• Your time is not free; it is priceless.
• Life and living, although similar, are not the same.
• Your quiet time alone or your “me time” is a start to finding your dreams.
• Once you find out your true dreams and desires, you can prioritize them in your life. This is controlling your time.
• Those who do not control their time are at the mercy of others who do control their time.
• Most of us are unaware of our attitudes toward managing our time. These “Time Traps” can significantly affect our lives and are all “Bullshit!”
• Doing things in a way that leads to rework is a massive waste of your time and life.
• Sharpening the tool of your time management skills and other tools will better prepare you for the calamities of life.

Going back to our test. (Just for fun.)

As we leave you, let’s return to the scenario at the beginning of the article. I hope you will ask ten friends for some spare change and time. Then silently note to yourself that although you probably love and admire some of these people, the time they spent telling you why they could not give you their spare time was a poor use of their time. I get a charge out of this, and I think you will also. The most comical times for me are when a person could have finished the task, I asked them to help me with faster than it took to tell me why they didn’t have time.

Having fun analyzing humans aside, doing what you want, and being what you will be takes focused effort and time. If you have not already started implementing the principles in the book Becoming the Boss of You, start now!

I wish you the best in “Finding the Time to Find the Time.”

Sincerely,

Ishall Gogood

Get the e-book by going to — https://www.amazon.com/Become-Boss-You-Bullshite-Guide-ebook/dp/B0CW18Q45D/

Get the Workbook — https://www.amazon.com/Workbook-Become-Boss-Ishall-Dogood/dp/B0D12BQB9Y

More interesting stuff on Longfellow

Longfellow — https://www.forbes.com › quotes

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