CA JEETENDRA MISTRY
SERIES - TIME MANAGEMENT – PART 2
DEFINITION AND FORWARD to TIME MANAGEMENT
In our last article, we identified characteristics of Time and theory of “Relativity of Time”. As part of Time Management, let us analyze Time Management itself and Time Wasters and Time Savers, as our tools of Time management.
As such, we always had 3 main streams of Education, i.e. Science, Commerce and Arts. If we consider Time from Science angle, we may see Time as a parameter of time-space continuum as explained by Einstein. Or if we consider it as formula, Time is equal to Distance divided by Speed. If we consider Time from Commerce angle, we may consider having time as Revenue Receipt, but when we spend Time, it may be Expenditure (or waste) or as an Investment.
But more important is to consider it from Arts angle. It all depends on the Person, what he thinks about time, does really matter for Time Management. It is said that “If you think, you can, YOU CAN. And if you think, you can’t, YOU CAN’T. Either way, you are Right.”
Let me illustrate it with an example. If a bank employee who handles cash counter thinks that what happens if he gets late by 10 minutes due to traffic jam and reaches late in Bank without even traffic jam, it may happen that he may have to face unpleasant situation of wrath of customers who needed cash at opening of bank itself, or unpleasant feelings from his co-workers. He may be subject to disciplinary action also sometimes.
It is said that one who cares for Time, Time cares for him/her in return. How does respond to Time, determines one’s success in long-run. How? Consider 4 persons named here – Bill Gates, Narendra Modi, small businessman on C G Road and last but not least – yourself. All persons have 86400 seconds or 1440 minutes a day, but how do they utilize their resource called time, determines their success. Isn’t it true? How one invests his each second/minute of life, finds in return, the fruits of the efforts made.
Let us now concentrate on what is Time Management?
According to the Wikipedia, “Time management is the act or process of Planning and exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase the effectiveness, efficiency or productivity.”
The definition given by Wikipedia is exhaustive and self-explanatory, but let me elaborate on this also. Time Management is an art and is process, not the final product. Process is ongoing and never-ending exercise and has to be practiced continuously. It involves conscious control over time spent by us as time never returns back, hence our conscious control on time spent needs to be more important. Time management is used to increase effectiveness, efficiency and productivity through our actions.
Major thrust of Time Management may be derived from analyzing of actual utilization of Time, as everyone has equal opportunity provided by way of time, but it all depends on how one uses his/her time to benefit him. One must exercise in solitude, and record where does he/she spends time and how much time for each activity. This exercise needs to be done at least for a week. Report of actual time spent shall have to be analyzed under 4 categories as under:
1. Works worth doing
2. Works not worth doing
3. Works which may not be done
4. Works which done could be avoided
Once we categorize our time, we may know that which activities which consumes x amount of our time, was worth the efforts or was just time lost, earning nothing?
I may suggest here to maintain “Time Log-Book” and start noting down all the activities you do throughout the day, for consecutive a week, to start with. Once you start maintaining records, your analyzing capacity shall develop by itself and you shall become self-aware about the time you spend, where, how much and with what results in return. Your analysis may be useful when we shall discuss important principles of time management in future.
Another easy way is to be totally conscious in the moment and ask ourselves another question:
It is like flow-chart, which will take us to decide on each point and go forward. Take any activity and let us analyze it.
Say, you want to learn swimming but it is your new-year resolution on 31st December night. First question is to ask ourselves – To learn swimming now? Yes or No - Either is only your choice. Naturally, in cold season of January, you may not like to learn swimming. So go ahead.
Next question is whether you would pursue with such activity yourself, or you delegate to someone else or forget it at once. Now for above example, you may decide to forget at that moment, since you cannot delegate it anyone else to learn on your behalf.
But assume if you have decided to start writing a book, you may decide to continue with your aspiration, at any given time. That work can also not be delegated to anyone, as you would be penning down your thoughts in words on paper.
Once decided to go ahead with activity, you have 3 choices again. One is to it immediately, at least the start of writing a book. Another choice is to do it later, but then put immediately – WHEN? Once you decide to start that activity from February, then it would not bother you in January at least. Third choice may be – To decide later – then that also be fixed with WHEN?
So if you decide to decide on next Sunday when you have leisure time, you may plan it on that day. Simply put, it may look like follow.
Let us analyze the whole process of “Time Management” in different perspective. If Time is not a person, or a thing, and is only a thought/notion/concept, then who is the Thinker? Oneself. One may manage only a person or a thing, but who would manage “thought/notion/concept”?
In simpler words, “Time Management” is nothing but Self-Management with respect to Time.
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JEETENDRA MISTRY
