TIME IS THE SAME, WHAT WE DO WITH IT IS NOT

"I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read and all the friends I want to see."

John Burroughs, late 19th/early 20th century American naturalist/essayist.

The musing of a truly rich and fortunate man.

You may believe you have more time than you need, possibly more time than you want. If so rethink how you spend the time you have.

We all have the same time in each day we live with the wise spending theirs more wisely than the unwise.

NATURE'S WAY

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."

Lao Tzu, 6th century BC Chinese philosopher.

Not so people.

We hurry to catch up when we've allowed ourselves to fall behind.

Nature's way, the better way.

TIME ENOUGH

"The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is."

C. L. Lewis, 20th century British novelist.

So the question you need to answer is, how will you spend each of those 60 minutes?

Time enough depending on what you do with them.

THERE IS TIME NOW. TAKE IT!

"And when is there time to remember, to sift, to weigh, to estimate, to total?"

Tillie Olsen, 20th century American writer.

Time to consider where you've been, where you are and where you'd like to go in the time left to you.

Your time.

It is finite, don't waste it.

TICK TOCK

"In all our deeds, the proper value and respect for time determines success or failure."

Malcolm X, 20th century American Muslim minister/activist

This quote could have come from anyone regardless of when or where they were born, their gender, occupation, religion or political views.

We all have some unknown amount of time on earth.

Respect and use wisely whatever that is for you.

EVEN VIDEO GAMES??

"Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely."

Auguste Rodin, 19th century French sculptor

Suggesting there is value in everything.

Ok, I suppose, but choose wisely what you feel is worth the time you waste.

That time, however long it may be, will never come again.

SURE, THERE'S STILL TIME, BUT HOW MUCH?

"Remember, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday."

Dale Carnegie (1888-1955) American writer.

The day you look back on what you should have done yesterday.

Nothing will get done yesterday.

WHAT TIME DO YOU HAVE?

"Ordinary people think merely of spending time. Great people think of using it."

Unknown

I'm not entirely comfortable thinking of some people as being "great", others "ordinary", however I understand the sentiment.

We are well advised to more use rather than spend the time we have.

HOW WILL YOU SPEND YOURS?

"Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you."

Carl Sandburg

Late 19th/early 20th century American poet

One more I probably shouldn't but nonetheless will quibble with a bit.

Time is the "coin" of our lives but way too many of us are not determining how it will be spent.

We unthinkingly acquiesce to the wishes of others.

If you are going to "spend" the most valuable asset you have, one that cannot be replenished, make sure it is you who decides what you will get in return.

UNTIL THEY LIGHT NO MORE.

"We waste our lights in vain, like lamps by day."

William Shakespeare

Late 16th/early 17th century British poet/playwright

Not all our "lights", every day, but enough to know there is a finite number we shouldn't waste.

THE BEST YOU CAN BE . . . ON TIME!

"Tomorrow do thy worst, I have lived today."

John Dryden

17th century British poet, dramatist and critic

Substitute "done all I could" for "lived" and this is the essence of time management.

How Much Time Do You Have?

"Time cuts down all, both great and small."

Unknown

In other words a lack of time is no excuse for failure, we all have 24/7 of however many days we live on this earth.

Use yours wisely.

The Ticking Clock

"I am what you will be, I was what you now are."

Unknown

For all our differences this does describe us all.

Time is the great leveler.

Use yours wisely.

How Much Time Do We Have Left?

"Nothing is to be rated higher than the value of the day."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Late 18th/early 19th century German poet/author

And still we often wish the day would end.

We can't include time on our balance sheets even though it is the one asset which often has most to do with our success or failure.

Now, Before It's Too Late!

"Time is the soul of business."

English proverb

Not money or any other resource you can name.

Act, now!

The Day Ahead

"The first hour of the morning is the rudder of the day."

Henry Ward Beecher

19th century American politician

Because, if you use it for such, it will set the course for all the hours that will follow.

It's product . . .  the day's agenda.

Who Called This Meeting?

"Meetings are indispensable when you don't want to do anything."

John Kenneth Galbraith

20th century Canadian/American economist

I agree with one caveat.

The fault is not with the meeting but with the meeting participants.

Just as in planning, if you don't have a clear agenda and of greater importance, a solid commitment from the participants to take personal responsibility for what happens, nothing good will come from it.

And by the way, all that time wasted in the meeting will continue to be wasted in the participant's personal work space if they don't organize themselves there any better than they did in the meeting.

Got The Time?

"You are not born of fame if you don't know the value of time."

Marquis de Vauvenargues

18th century French writer

All the talent and resources in the world will amount to little if you lack the time to do what you wish to do.

Waste it now, regret it later.

Lost In Time?

"Lost time is never found again."

Proverb

I relate to this.

I've been diddling along far too long on my "change" book, much longer than necessary had I better managed my time.

How's your time management skills, in general, as well as those of the management teams you are a part of, specifically?

Time's Up!

"Until we can manage time, we can manage nothing else."

Peter Drucker

20th century American business consultant, author, educator

As a board member of a mid sized company, I was asked to attend a management meeting the other day to discuss their approach to time management.

It seems they feel they have a problem managing their time.

The meeting lasted 2 hours.

Does anyone else see a problem with this?