“My favourite things in life don’t cost any money. It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time”
Steve Jobs
Never a truer statement has been made. Whether you believe in the Divine God or not, your time on this earth is limited. We don’t all get an equal share. We can squander time or use it to its full. Each day we are hopefully allocated only 1440 minutes, of which about a third is assigned to work. Each year that equates to 115200 minutes for working (allowing for holidays and 5 day weeks). A bit more is used for sleep, and about the same for other life tasks.
I have worked in many organisations, and hear of colleagues doing the same, where Supervisors or Managers are amazed at how quickly and efficiently we do tasks because they are used to things taking a set time, and then making the time to suit the task. We get complaints that we will make others look bad. But I have learned that being efficient allows me time to help others with problems or to get ahead on other tasks.
Whether mentally or on paper, I always prioritize the important tasks for the day (not just work related) and the expected time it should take me (not what has been allocated). I consider the “urgency”, but it doesn’t always make it to the top of the list. I break the day into segments, mixing task types to keep my mind and body active and interested.
Time cannot be “managed” no matter how many courses you attend. It is the same for everybody. We juggle the way we use time around the things in life that are important to us. How we use our time will determine the legacy we leave behind; it is the dash on our headstone. I want to make a difference no matter what I do, or who I am working with. I see the potential where others don’t because I am not trying to draw out the task to suit the time; I am making room for growth and greater potential.
If you did a (time in motion) study across your workplace today, how many wasted hours would you see in your business that could be harnessed more efficiently? Sustainable businesses can’t afford to have tasks completed by time schedules or allocations; tasks have to performed as efficiently as possible. So take a few moments and look to see where your most valuable resource is being used well, and where it is not. Or if you need the help of a Strategic Planning Consultant, make the time to call us to help assess the overall efficiency of your business.