bjarvis | Time/Resource Management and Controlling One's Life

This past weekend, a friend wondered out loud (& rhetorically) how I find the energy & time to juggle all of the activities of my life. I haven't given it much thought over the past 20+ years because my methodologies are more of an automatic habit now than a conscious effort. Since I have little else to write today, I'll write about how my brain works.

Almost any resource at our disposal --money, food, travel, living space, etc.-- can be purchased, borrowed or stored until required: time can not. This makes it the most precious and valuable resource of my life. Time wasted is time I cannot regain. Thus, I want to make the most of my limited waking hours and will actively avoid people/issues/problems which I perceive to waste time.

Habit 1: Always ask yourself, "Is this activity worth my time?" If not, why are you doing it?

The present is only a single moment in time before it is lost forever, but I have (hopefully) another 60+ years of future still ahead of me. Many people spend their time fretting about what to do in a couple of yours, later today, tomorrow or the coming weekend. Why? How can a single day compare to the value of six decades worth of days yet to come?

For most of us, our days are largely a matter of routine, anyway: I get up in the morning, I shower & get dressed, I drive to work, I put in my work day, I go home. There are, of course, accidents & surprises but these are rare. Only a fraction of my capacity & energy is required to look after day-to-day routine activities: the rest I invest in progress towards where I want to be some day in future.

Habit 2: Never ask "What should I do today?" Always ask "What do I want to do next month/year/decade?" Follow that question with "Is what I'm doing now going to get me there?"

Projects or goals which are truly worthwhile seldom can be created in a single act, and the workload in its entirety may seem so overwhelming we never act at all out of fear and anxiety. The pyramids have stood for 5,000 years but even they were assembled one block at a time over decades.

Habit 3: Use the present to perform small tasks towards a long-term future goal.

Banks will give you an interest rate on savings, paying you for the time you've given them your money. Likewise, debts are charged an interest rate for a given time you have the borrowed money. The lesson to internalize is that starting something as early as possible will make a world of difference over time: start investing in yourself and your work projects in (3) early so the results may grow on their own, and work out problems early so that the cost to you is minimized. I can't change my past, but I can change what I do today.

Habit: Start now. Waiting will only increase the overall cost to you, not only in terms of money, but also stress, frustration anxiety, and level of comfort & security.

I especially enjoy my successes along the path since the effort was minimal by starting early and working in small increments.

Eventually, the future becomes today: if I've done things even partially well, by preparing for my future I will have automatically taken care of the bulk of the present. When that happens, I get even more spare time, energy & resources to refine these habits and to take advantage of unexpected blessings along the way. Always take a little time to smell the metaphoric roses as you go.

Habit: Enjoy each success as it is earned.

By having to spend far less time in the present fretting over minor issues because I've tackled them (or better yet, avoided them) early, I have the spare time, energy & flexibility to try something new. A friend proposed attending a square dance open house 15+ years ago, and I found I liked it. When an opportunity to learn how to call square dancing materialized, I was able to take part. I had Internet access at home and some spare hours, so I finished my BSc and then an MSc online. My employer is offering a course in using some software packages I'll likely never need in my current job, but I'm going to take them next month as they might be useful in some future position.

Habit: Be open to new opportunities. Treat yourself.