How often have you heard the phrases "I don't have time" or "I have to make time?" know what you're thinking, "I just said that today." We've all heard these words so often that we never take the time to listen to what we're actually saying. We hear and use these words so frequently that we never question their accuracy. Instead we convince ourselves, without a doubt, of their truth. I want to make a point here and now.You cannot "make" or "manage" time. You can only create and manage personal events. Webster's dictionary says, "To manage something is to 'handle,' 'direct' or 'alter' something for a purpose." You cannot manage time because you cannot handle, direct or alter time for any purpose. You cannot speed up time and you cannot slow time down. You can only control and manage the events that you personally carry out in the time that already exists. Then, I hit upon the concept of Value Added Time , So, here I am now, adding value to my time - by adding up the minutes. Little minutes by little minutes, chunk of work by tiny chunk. It was true for me and it was true for others.. The basic idea is to use our wasted 'in between tasks' minutes to finish off the mundane work bit by bit. We all have those minutes. Here are some of them - Walking to the nearest grocery store to pick up supplies, Traveling to work, Waiting for an appointment, Waiting for the TV show to start.
If you think through, you will get your own list. A few minutes but when they add up they are precious minutes. Now make up another list of all the routine jobs you can finish bit by bit in these minutes. Maybe, a telephone call you have been putting off for a while. Use these minutes, a few chatty moments is better than none at all. Carry a book along in your bag or a small notebook. Read a few pages while you are waiting for someone or finish some lists you were planning using the small notebook. Sometimes between TV shows, I clean a corner of my room. Multiply it by a more intervals and my whole room is clear. And doing these everyday things chunk by small chunk doesn't tax me at all. You can do a small exercise. Just for a day, I did a small exercise. I calculated how many of minutes I wasted in between other activities. I found out it was approximately 2 hours. Two hours! Multiplied by 30, that's nearly three and a half waking days!
So, the next time you hear the words, "Time Management," remember, there is no such thing as "Time Management." "Event Management" is the only way to successfully pretend that you are actually managing time.
If you think through, you will get your own list. A few minutes but when they add up they are precious minutes. Now make up another list of all the routine jobs you can finish bit by bit in these minutes. Maybe, a telephone call you have been putting off for a while. Use these minutes, a few chatty moments is better than none at all. Carry a book along in your bag or a small notebook. Read a few pages while you are waiting for someone or finish some lists you were planning using the small notebook. Sometimes between TV shows, I clean a corner of my room. Multiply it by a more intervals and my whole room is clear. And doing these everyday things chunk by small chunk doesn't tax me at all. You can do a small exercise. Just for a day, I did a small exercise. I calculated how many of minutes I wasted in between other activities. I found out it was approximately 2 hours. Two hours! Multiplied by 30, that's nearly three and a half waking days!
So, the next time you hear the words, "Time Management," remember, there is no such thing as "Time Management." "Event Management" is the only way to successfully pretend that you are actually managing time.
