A New Look at Time Management
The two most important elements to manage are cash and time, with time being the most important by far. There are two reasons why:
- We have a limited amount of time. No matter what we do, there is no way to extend the amount of time we have in our lives.
- There is unlimited cash available for us to use. A good idea will attract cash.
Enjoy the moment in time…
We live in a world where people seem to be in such a hurry to get where they’re going that they don’t really stop and think about where they’re going or why.
Just think of dating and marriage. Many people are so anxious to get married that they rush through the dating process and don’t really enjoy the magic of getting to know the other person. Dating should be like a long slow dance. Too often people rush through the dating stage to get to the wedding but then end up divorced because they didn’t lay the proper foundation.
Live in the Present, Prepare for the Future
I know that you may be thinking about an apparent contradiction in this idea. How can we live in the present but work toward our goals in the future? When I say live in the present, I mean that we want to appreciate and do our best in every moment. We don’t want to be absorbed with what happened in the past or worried about what will happen in the future. We want our minds to be present at all times. By working toward our goals we are living in the present but working to make the future wonderful also.
Happiness or success happens when we’re absorbed in working toward our goals. That means living in the present but also planning or and doing other work that will benefit our future.
The great American writer, Edith Wharton said that “If only we’d stop trying to be happy, we could have a pretty good time.”
This means that if we’re only focused on our happiness, we’ll have trouble being happy. Also, if we chase happiness itself, we too often take shortcuts such as using drugs and alcohol that prove not to work in the long term. Instead happiness is a by-product of pursuing our goals.
I have observed that people who are busy with life are often happier than those who are looking for happiness. For example, I have seen friends who don’t think about happiness, they just get absorbed in their work and are happy doing it. They’re not looking for happiness; it just happens as a by-product of their work.
On the other hand, I pursued happiness in my life. I was very aware of how unhappy I was. Instead of seeking happiness, we need to pursue our goals using our God-given gifts. Happiness will result as a by-product.
We always need to keep our goals in mind and work toward them in the present. If we don’t work toward our goals, our next present moments may not be so enjoyable.
We can live in the present but completely ignore the future, for example, if we commit a crime. A criminal will do something wrong today completely ignoring the fact that he might get caught and have to face the consequences of his action.
Most people don’t commit crimes because they realize that there will be consequences in the future. Crime is an example of living in the present but harming the future. Instead, our actions in the present must be consistent with our goals for the future.
This is an excerpt from Bruce’s book “Attitude Determines Destiny”.
As a motivational speaker, he conducts seminars and workshops based upon the ideas in his book. He entertains and inspires audiences wherever he goes.
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