Sid is driving in his brand new Ford Fairlane (new for him, anyway). Out of the radio speakers rasps “Tiiiiiiiiiiiime is on my side. Yes it is. Tiiiiiiiiiiiime is on my side. Yes it is.” He can almost feel Mick’s blubbery lips slap the microphone. It’s his favorite song after I’m a Loser by the Beatles but today he can’t enjoy it. He’s speeding down a side street, veering to avoid swinging car doors, trotting dogs and squatting potholes, doing his best to get to work on time. It’s a futile goal because he is already thirty minutes late. Still he’s in a groove and he feels joy and even amazement at his profound driving ability until he hears the siren and then sees the red lights in his mirror.
After the polite policeman gives him the ticket, his third one in as many months that will cause him to lose his license, he looks at his watch. He’s now one hour late for the 10th day in a row and he realizes there is no sense going on to work. His boss’s threat was clear. One more time and “He gone!”- yes his boss is a Sox fan.
There just isn’t enough time in the day, he thinks. No-sir-ree. Not enough. He’s so worried about his job, his family and his money so he drinks to deaden the stress. The drinking in turn leads to oversleeping.
Sid sits back against the torn vinyl of his car seat and the Stone’s song goes through his mind. As the words scroll through his conscientiousness they change, “Tiiiiiiiiiiiime is on my back. Get it off! Tiiiiiiiiiiime is on my back. Get it off!”
*****
Sid doesn’t understand time but he isn’t the only one. Many physicists don’t understand it either. To understand it scientifically, complex mathematical equations and some convoluted philosophy must be studied. I don’t think Sid is that kind of guy. Fortunately he doesn’t have to be. Time is understandable in a useful, practical way.
In everyday experience time moves you like a fast train and it doesn’t stop a any station. No matter how many times you push the emergency stop button it will not stop. In truth, you have no control over it. So, all that is left to you is to manage it. And, it can be managed.
By time management I do not mean to schedule everything you do. Schedules are an important tool but they are not the answer.
There are two things you can do that will help you manage time well. The first is never worry about the things, like time, that you have no control over. No matter how much you worry, no matter what you do to medicate the stress, the situation that’s worrying you remains. All worry does is waste energy and time. It wastes energy because thoughts require lots of it. Per unit weight, the brain uses the most energy than any organ in the body. And it’s the resulting stress that ultimately causes you to be late for work. Ever notice how exhausted you are after a day of worrying? It wastes time because while you’re worrying over whether or not it will snow tomorrow, you could be learning a new skill that will help find a better paying job.
What’s the best way to manage time? In everything you do, do it as well as you can. It doesn’t matter how many things you do during the day. If you do lots of things but do them poorly time will be an enemy. Concentrate on doing a good job at work, instead of worrying, might very will help you keep your job. Concentrate on being a good spouse and prevent marriage problems. Nothing kills a relationship like being absent in mind, worrying if your spouse loves you or not. Instead, love your spouse and he will probably return it. Concentrate on being a good steward of your money, live within your means and your financial problems will go away.
The thing about managing time effectively is to just stop worrying about it and be the best spouse, parent, worker you can be. Then time won’t be on your back, you won’t even notice it. — sfbjr
So true! Worrying will not solve or even help anything!
I used to stress out so much about time, deadlines, engagements, etc. Throughout the later years of college and my first few years of work, I have learned to manage this area much better! Thankfully!
At work I get things done quickly and efficiently, and if there are things left pending, I have trained myself to be ok with leaving it for the next day (that was a big accomplishment! lol).
In my personal life I have learned to say no to a few things and focus on the things that are most important (again, not easy for me!).
And this statement is SO true: “Nothing kills a relationship like being absent in mind, worrying if your spouse loves you or not.”
Thanks for writing!
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven… He has made everything beautiful in His time.” -Ecclesiastes 3:1,11