CA JEETENDRA MISTRY
SERIES - TIME MANAGEMENT – 12
SPECIAL “MANTRA” FOR SUCCESSFUL TIME MANAGEMENT
In this series of Time Management, we have 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 six Time Wasters and two Time Savers, ultimate of Time Management – which is known as T/M Matrix and results-effects of each quadrant and lastly Roles and Goals and ultimate Framework of Time management, with new outlook and lastly what great people have talked about time. Now this is concluding article, but is crux of Life leadership.
Today I want to give such unique “mantra” to you about time, as you would relish forever. If you follow these small matters with precision, I am sure you would feel great about yourself that you completed this whole series of Time management. These “mantra” if followed at nick of time, shall have better impact on overall results.
A man of Planet Earth just happened to meet God once. He inquired with God “How is time compared to, on Earth? God answered that “Our one moment is equal to your hundred years”. The man was more inquisitive and inquired about currency prevalent there. God answered “Our one rupee is equal to your One crore of rupees”. Man was more adamant and asked God “can you not give me your one rupee?” God replied “Sure, wait a moment!” This is hypothetical story bur “moment” is the thing for anyone, which can make a man from rags to riches and can drag down from crown to dust. That is destiny.
These are “Master-keys” and all must be used simultaneously, as and when such crucial moment arrives in life. These are very simple keys to satisfying life.
First master-key is “Present Moment Awareness” (PMA). Most of the times, we live either in past or in future. That too may with regret for past words/actions, which cannot be undone anyhow and with fear or worry of unknown future. I would elucidate it with a simple example. Suppose you are waiting for a bus for long time and when you lose hope, you catch rickshaw to reach your destination. You just start a ride with constant view on backside, if a bus is coming. And when you see the bus coming just in few minutes, you start regretting for catching rickshaw very soon and spending more. At that point of time, though physically you are in rickshaw, your mind is totally with bus. You cannot do anything now, except to accept the fact. Acceptance of Reality is only way out. If you are depressed, you live in the “past”, if you are anxious, you live in “future”, but if you are at peace, you live in “present” – quote by Lao Tzu.
Similarly, sometimes you get lost in thoughts while travelling in local train and may miss your station. Lao Tse also has said that “Do, what you do, when you do.”, i.e. when you are busy doing or accomplishing any task, put your 100% - attention, efforts and potentiality – to task on hand, rather than to be lost in past or in future. I would call it “to live in that moment”. Like God, who is “NO-WHERE”, but we all know that God is “NOW-HERE”
Second master-key is “Intensiveness of Time and Not Extensiveness of time”. If you notice how you do respond to any requests, then persistence, and lastly threat of your near-and-dear ones? It starts with a request from your kid to take them to an outing, but you keep avoiding under pretext of some or other work of more importance. It would turn out to be a persistent request and thereafter turn out even into a threat. You may avoid hearing their request consistently and face wrath of your near-and-dear ones.
But that is not the right approach. Out of your busy schedule, based on First-Things-First, your family should be placed as one of priority areas. They do not need more of your time, but they need more love, affection and attention, when you are with them, totally. If you are partly with them and partly with your business or other priorities, it is not INTENSIVE TIME GIVING. So positively, delegate specific part of weekly specified time to each member of your family and if you have more urgent work at that specific time, have alternative time-period made available to them. It is said that you may spend a day with one who can make you smile, but you can spend your whole life, only if you can cry over his/her shoulders.
Third master-key is “RELAX” at every red-signal. If you have visited New Delhi, you might have noticed every signal post has 3 lights, one Green, one Yellow and One Red, with words written “RELAX”. We have many such points in life-time that we have to stop at Red signal. This is the time to RELAX and not worry as to when you will get time to go ahead. Relaxation in real life, with meditation, helps a lot, but to stay relaxed at time of grief is really nice gesture, which must adapt to.
Many of us live life conditionally, e.g. attitude like, “Once my son gets job, I will be free to go for yoga and meditation”, or “Once my daughter gets married, I will start doing physical exercises and brisk walking”. These are called “Conditional Living”, where you have conditions attached to your basic things to be done as routine. This is like self-created mirage, which is nowhere in sight. But prefer “Unconditional Living” for essential matters like your physical exercise or meditation or following your passion of reading good books or listening/learning music of your choice. Everything will happen at appropriate time and no worry or fear can resolve your issues. Hence live happily, with priorities well-set. This is fourth “mantra”.
Last but not least, is “BALANCING”. When we learn driving bicycle, it is not sufficient to paddle only, but also important to hold steering in right direction. Either of them will not be sufficient to drive bicycle. So Balancing is not “Either-Or” but needs to be replaced by “AND”. It is not Either “Joy of Doing” Or “Sense of Fulfillment” for satisfying life, but it is to be replaced by “AND”. If you consider for any under-world don, do you think he has both of above? No. He may have “Joy of Doing”, but not “Sense of Fulfillment”. So decide this moment that you will live life of your choice with “Joy of Doing” and “Sense of fulfillment”.
Lastly, one more quote from Robin Sharma. “Every minute spent on worrying about “the way things were” is a moment stolen from creating “the way things can be”. So use your precious and scarce time so judiciously that when time comes to call it off, you are peace.
Similarly, forgiving someone may cost you your pride, but not forgiving will cost you your freedom. Simply put, if your “tomorrow”(future) is not better than “today”(present), you are stuck in “yesterday”(past).
Lastly, it is not important how much time is left in your life, but it is important how much life is in your present time?
So here we are at end of series of “Time Management”, but you have never really lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you. With that paradigm of Gratitude to help others wherever you get chance, you will not only have “Joy of Doing”, but also “Sense of fulfillment”.
Your views/reviews and comments/suggestions are welcome.
JEETENDRA MISTRY
