Wednesday, February 27, 2013

TIME Ownership & Actions

"All that really belongs to us is time; even he who has nothing else has that." - Baltasar Gracian Spanish Writer (1601 - 1658)
Time is something that is non-renewable, precious, and yet many people act as though it is simply a slippery slope instead of a manageable resource. What causes that? And, how do we overcome that feeling of "no time"!?!
While much attention will not spent on these reasons or excuses, it seems the idea of "I don't have time for XYZ" is simply an acceptable response to someone or something being presented. There is rarely an explanation that is intelligent or encouraging, thoughtful or thorough, rather it just gets blurted as though the person can barely spare the seconds to utter the words, let alone, do whatever is being suggested/asked.
I am not encouraging anyone to say "yes" to everything or fake it on time, or even miss sleep to get things done in order to appear as though you can take on the day with ease and have "all the time in the world"! Instead, please consider eliminating: I'm so busy! I just don't have time for XYZ! You must have a lot more time on your hands than I do! I'm always late! / I'm always rushing! Who has got time for that?
Instead, TIME can be viewed as:
Taking-on, and
Incorporating
Manageable
Expectations
In other words, be focused, be in control, and be appreciative of the time you get. How about: I'm so busy! becomes "It's a full day!" or "It's going to be a productive day!" I just don't have time for XYZ! becomes "No, thank you" or "That's not a good fit for me." You must have a lot more time on your hands than I do! becomes "Good for you that you are dedicating time to what is important to you!" I'm always late! / I'm always rushing! becomes "Because I want to respect your time, let's please meet 15 minutes later." Who has got time for that? becomes a silent smile, rather than judging someone else for his/her choices
By replacing the first expressions that are lifeless and show no control or interest, and even insult the listener by implying you have more things going on than s/he, with these listed above, you will not only communicate more effectively, you will likely feel a sense of management and ownership of your choices, and your actions, which after all, add up to how you spend your TIME!

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