CA JEETENDRA MISTRY
SERIES - TIME MANAGEMENT – 5
Time Wasters – Part Two
In last 4 articles on Time Management, we identified Characteristics of Time, concept of Time Management and how it shapes out to be Life Leadership, G-D-P (i.e. Goal, Direction and Process) of Time Management, and we identified two Time Wasters. Today I would show few more Time-Wasters and shall look out for solution as how to tackle them? I would also be providing “Time-savers” as tools, which may help you to have better Time Management.
First two Time-wasters were:
Procrastination – over action and over decision
Policy of “To do the best – Always”
Third Time-waster is “Overlap or Repetition of efforts”. We all watch TV serials daily and we know how daily-sops roll over years with thousands of episodes! One may get clue that each serial has limited contents, but are spread over different times – during daily intervals, say 2 or 3 intervals in 30-minutes episode. Each commercial break is provided at regular intervals, but that consumes time of last few minutes being repeated and also showing what is coming up after commercial break. This consumes time in slot of 30 minutes. If we consider 8 minutes of actual commercial break time within episode of 30 minutes, the rest of episode should last for 22 minutes, but it hardly does. It may be only 15-18 minutes of recording, with 3 to 7 minutes of duplication.
Simply put, for Time Management, LESSER THE BREAKS, FASTER THE EXECUTION. Let us consider that you have taken up one big assignment which may take at least 3 hours of time, if you sit and complete at a stretch. But if you take up at 5 pm in the evening, when office closes at 6 pm, would you be able to complete it? No. If you carry home, will you be able to complete it in balance 2 hours. No again, because the time to winding up while leaving at 6 pm from office and re-starting at home, will take away your 10-20 minutes to establish “continuity”. I would suggest that it may be better to take 3 hours at a stretch anytime, either today or tomorrow, but not to break it in 3 parts – one at office, next at home and balance remaining at office tomorrow. It would never work.
Always insist on “Completion on the Spot” rather than to be carried at another place for faster execution. Completion in all matters is also a spiritual effort, if we consider it bit differently. In case of arguments, we all know that they will never end, if occurs between a couple. And the winner is also fixed without any referee – wife is always the winner. So it is always better to put completion on arguments. “To declare as complete” in any relationship is also great approach spiritually, even with your enemy. Think over it again and again, and you would eventually agree with me. If you need solution for your “insomnia”, just declare the battle of your mind as “complete” and you would feel asleep instantly!! This is proven over time by me successfully and also scientifically and psychologically.
Fourth Time-Waster is “Distractions”, which will drag your attention frequently from your assigned focus. Can you guess any such distraction? Not one, but you may name many. If I have to list major distracters, it would be any of social media, like Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and like many others. If you are member of any group, and it would be very much likely that you may be member of multiple groups, where it is easy to receive message at rate of one-notification-per-minute, which would take your attention away from any specific activity you are engaged in.
There may be other distractions as well – like urgent mobile calls, unexpected visitors, TV programs, googling etc. Any activity which attracts your attention away from your focused work, may be considered as Distractions and it is not possible for anyone to avoid distractions completely. However, self awareness as to such distraction will bring you back to your focused assignment, which is necessary.
Another Time-waster is “Cannot say NO to anything”. Let me explain you with an example. If you are busy with your project work to be completed before your next tour, due after 3 days. One of your close friends drops in and asks you to go for a music concert, and you are very fond of such live music concert. You would resist by saying that you have urgent assignment on hand to be completed before your next tour. But if he lures you with “free passes” of the program for you and your family, it would not take any time to turn your “NO” to “YES”, with insistence of your family members.
Only solution to such cause is “Don’t say YES to everything”. By this attitude, you may come over many temptations like free passes and others. Our weakness should not hammer on us to make us ineffective. Few of our weaknesses may be
To say yes to whatever comes our way
To indulge in any activity without considering its consequences
Priorities are not properly defined
The results would be –
Would not be completed expected works in time
Would leave started tasks incomplete half-way
Would enjoy unwarranted unwanted entertainments
You may have to stay “unpleased” in order to please others
Last but not least important time-waster is “Belief system” or “I was under impression….”.
Take any instance of mis-understanding between any of your relations. The ultimate reason would end up with anyone saying that “I was under impression that……x…y…z”. Had there been clarity of thinking by verbal communication, such misunderstanding can be avoided.
It may happen that your wife sends some specially made dish in your tiffin, thinking that you relish that dish, but it may happen that you might not have conveyed her anytime in past that you don’t like that particular dish. This would spoil time of her preparing it and your time to search for alternative food-dish.
So today, we covered 4 more time-wasters, viz.
Overlap or Repetition of efforts
Distractions
Cannot say NO to anything
Belief system” or “I was under impression…
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CA JEETENDRA MISTRY
