Six Ways to Maximize Your Time

Space we can recover, time never. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821). 


Do you sometimes stop to wonder where all the time went? The last few minutes, hours, days, decades just appeared to vanish before our very eyes. Well you're not alone. It happens to even the most vigilant of us.

Time, as you might already know, is ever elusive. We're all subject to 24 hours in a day, but some people appreciate its urgency more than others. While some days seem to evaporate without registering any memorable moments, others hold a very high place on our imaginary, jumbo screen highlight reel.

One of my favorite quotes is by Albert Einstein:  "Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. THAT'S relativity."

Time is relative and depending on our perception of a task or event, our execution may be affected. As the saying goes, "More haste less speed". And this, my friends, is the beauty about time... The real issue is understanding ourselves relative to our timing. 


These five tips remind us on how to get the best out of our most limited resource and subsequently, live a life void of that ever present, supposedly innocuous question; "Where did all the time go"?

1. Understand That Your Time is Now

Not six months from now, after college, or when you start your business. Neither is it when I'm older and wiser. Our Time is Now. I relish the quote that says, " Move before you think you are ready". You find that living in the now allows you to embrace spontaneity and discover your strengths more than you ever knew. 


Sometimes waiting for the "right time" is the poison that kills the best of our dreams. The past is history, we can't do much about that. Tomorrow's a mystery, we can only plan and analyze, and waste the little we have right now... Focus on right now. The present - a gift that once it's gone, is lost forever. Carpe Diem.

2. Focus on Results, Not Routine

Aggressive action is not effective action. Being pragmatic is the key to living an impactful life. Sometimes we find ourselves beckoning to every supposedly important task, forgetting to take a breather from all the hubbub. Its important to actually assess how much progress we're making. Indeed, activity doesn't always equal progress. So it's up to us to weed out those incessant excesses in our routine that do not add any real value to our lives. 

3. Invest Time; Don't Spend It

Sure we're all entitled to a little R&R now and then but, being lethargic for too many days in a row causes us to lose steam on the grand scale of events. In small dozes, taking a break is very healthy for both our body and morale, but when our productivity begins to decline, and we gravitate more towards leisure than pain then a dangerous dynamic begins.

It's very important to set time aside for building our skill set and honing our expertise. When it comes to brain power and our learning ability, its true that "If you don't use it, you lose it". Setting time aside, each day for honing our bankable skills is the best way to stay sharp and relevant in today's dynamic world.

4. Respect Your Quiet time

Take time out, everyday, to listen to your inner voice. Only then can we consciously schedule our activities around what we love doing and what counts most in our lives. This is the best time to drown out the opinions of others and find out our true heart's calling.

No doubt, it is unrealistic to think that the world revolves around us... but for  at least 30 minutes everyday, it should. We learn more about ourselves in this way. We know when to strike, when to retreat; When to bring it, when to save it. Often times, this is the when seeds of random thoughts bear fruit from within the subconscious. 

5. Timing is Key

There's a season for everything. The best idea offered at the wrong time may seem useless. So it's up to us to schedule events for times we can deliver at peak performance. Usually the window of opportunity remains open during very short intervals and its most important to execute plans, once decide, without reluctance. Remember, hesitation places obstacles in our path; audacity clears them. So learn to be a Master of timing and you'll be amazed by how much you can accomplish.

6. Beware of Time Robbers

Work hard. Distractions are plentiful and time is short. Our days are numbered as pages of a book and each day you spend on necessary inconveniences, is a day that you will never get back. Examples of time robbers, the ones inflicted by others and self inflicted are; Unnecessary meetings - Over 11 million meetings are held each day in America. Many are too long and unnecessary; Work overload; Equipment failures; red tape; procrastination; personal disorganization; poor planning; perfectionism; just to name a few.

Time Quotes

• Time is the coin of your life and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you". Carl Sandburg
• Time = Life, Therefore, waste your time and waste of your life, or master your time and master your life. Alan Lakein
• Be mindful of time but do not grant a clock authority over your reason".

Photo courtesy: http://travelandtourworld.wordpress.com/category/africa/

Intensity Vs. Extensity; Identifying What Works For You

NAPOLEON Bonaparte, one of history's greatest generals, is remembered for his discipline and unparalleled courage. His most invaluable strengths were a very high level of grit, focus and intensity of purpose. He is famously known for saying, "Intellect is a magnitude of intensity rather than extensity".  

That strategic mindset may have served him very well. But my question is this, does everyone function this way? Do we all require 101% tunnel vision on every task to become the best our potential permits?

On the other hand, some of us just can't focus on one task for more than an hour. We prefer to multitask, know a little bit about everything and dip our little fingers in as many pieces of cake as possible. Of course, there's nothing bad in that... As long as we always wash our hands after right?

Bottom line, we're all unique and despite our all so similar human characteristics and limitations, there are  some rules that just don't work for everyone. 

I grew up with the old school rule book for success. I was taught to spending long, arduous hours reading books and rote memorizing pages upon pages of scripts. I reckon a lot has changed over the last two decades and kids of today have the opportunity to learn through a diverse array of mediums. 

This is the age of the ipads, laptops, Blackberrys, web 2.0, cloud computing, online degrees... I could go on but I think you get the point. There's so much cool stuff out there and it takes quite a lot of effort to focus on one thing and develop the discipline to consistently ignore everything else.

In Paulo Coelho's literary masterpiece, The Alchemist, he shares a short story that I believe sheds more light on how to maximize our effort and get results without turning into a zombie; 

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A merchant sent his son to learn the Secret of Happiness from the wisest of men. The young man wandered through the desert for forty days until he reached a beautiful castle at the top of a mountain. There lived the sage that the young man was looking for.

However, instead of finding a holy man, our hero entered a room and saw a great deal of activity; merchants coming and going, people chatting in the corners, a small orchestra playing sweet melodies, and there was a table laden with the most delectable dishes of that part of the world.

The wise man talked to everybody, and the young man had to wait for two hours until it was time for his audience.

With considerable patience, the Sage listened attentively to the reason for the boy’s visit, but told him that at that moment he did not have the time to explain to him the Secret of Happiness.

He suggested that the young man take a stroll around his palace and come back in two hours’ time.

“However, I want to ask you a favor,” he added, handling the boy a teaspoon, in which he poured two drops of oil. “While you walk, carry this spoon and don’t let the oil spill.”

The young man began to climb up and down the palace staircases, always keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. At the end of two hours he returned to the presence of the wise man.

“So,” asked the sage, “did you see the Persian tapestries hanging in my dining room? Did you see the garden that the Master of Gardeners took ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?”

Embarrassed, the young man confessed that he had seen nothing. His only concern was not to spill the drops of oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.

“So, go back and see the wonders of my world,” said the wise man. “You can’t trust a man if you don’t know his house.”

Now more at ease, the young man took the spoon and strolled again through the palace, this time paying attention to all the works of art that hung from the ceiling and walls. He saw the gardens, the mountains all around the palace, the delicacy of the flowers, the taste with which each work of art was placed in its niche. Returning to the sage, he reported in detail all that he had seen.

“But where are the two drops of oil that I entrusted to you?” asked the sage.

Looking down at the spoon, the young man realized that he had spilled the oil.

“Well, that is the only advice I have to give you,” said the sage of sages. “The Secret of Happiness lies in looking at all the wonders of the world and never forgetting the two drops of oil in the spoon.”       

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

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In essence, we must learn to balance our ability to employ intensity and extensity of our intellect, as the situation permits, in order to get the best out of life and teach others to do the same.

Photo Courtesy:
http://futuretick.com/Lenovo-cell-phones/wallpapers-mobiles-phones/Genious-brain-Free-Wallpaper-Download-for-mobile-phone-cellphone-360-x-640-Resolution-Nokia-Samsun-4719

http://tlcbooktours.com/2010/10/paul-coelho-author-of-the-alchemist-a-graphic-novel-on-tour-novemberdecember-2010/

Steve Jobs - A Classic Example of Grit, Passion and Vision

1955 - 2011
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I've always loved reading biographies, studying people, learning and adopting successful strategies of the greats and applying them in my daily routine. I read a piece on Steve jobs a little less than a decade ago and what I admired most about his story was his ability to bounce back from "adversities" and return with bigger, better and stronger concepts with an unmatched drive to become better...


Personally, I thought it was most ridiculous for someone to get fired from a company he created. This was the situation Mr. Jobs found himself in the summer of 1985. I believe it is a very common trend in history for trailblazers, like Mr. Jobs to hit major stumbling blocks in their lives before finding true success. How Mr. Jobs handled that situation is a challenge to anyone who wants to live a life just a little bit better than ordinary...


Given that we're currently in the internet start-up craze, I think this is a befitting inspirational story to the millions of entrepreneurs out there still looking to get their ideas off the ground.


Look at it this way, your start up is like a baby… Your baby... An idea that you have nurtured and dreamed of for a good amount of time and you have the spine to bring those dreams to reality. Of course, there are quite a number of  bumps on the road for start-ups. The most common are constrained finances, naysayers, legal issues and bureaucratic bottlenecks. However, successful entrepreneurs welcome these challenges and they bring forth their revolutionary concepts to reality regardless. No excuses, no exceptions…


That's where Mr. Jobs found himself and instead of wasting his creative genius in fighting his coworkers or publicly making a fool of himself in the media, he started another...


He founded Next, and later on Pixar... and what I admire most about him is this: Even with Pixar's astronomical success, Mr. Jobs never forgot about Apple... He was relentless, tenacious, and persistent. He proved that Apple was not just a fluke, but was part of who he really was... Apple was his baby... and with a remarkable turn of events, he rejoined the Apple team and Apple rode on this giant visionary's wave of influence to become the game-changer it is today.


This beautiful love story doesn't just hold lessons for entrepreneurs, but for anyone who has ever had a dream of making a true impact in the world. It's for visionaries and super achievers... We're all witnesses to a life well lived and it's our duty to emulate Mr. Jobs’ drive and work ethic to become a little bit better, everyday.


Here are a few quotes attributed to Mr. Steve Jobs: Learn whatever you can from them and remember that, "Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do".

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Do Great Work:

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."

– Stanford commencement speech 2005

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Death and motivation:

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."

– Stanford commencement speech 2005

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Vision:

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

– Stanford commencement speech 2005

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Innovation:

"Innovation comes from people meeting up in the hallways or calling each other at 10.30 at night with a new idea, or because they realised something that shoots holes in how we've been thinking about a problem. It's ad hoc meetings of six people called by someone who thinks he has figured out the coolest new thing ever and who wants to know what other people think of his idea.

"And it comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don't get on the wrong track or try to do too much. We're always thinking about new markets we could enter, but it's only by saying no that you can concentrate on the things that are really important."

– Business Week 2004

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Design:

"In most people's vocabularies, design means veneer. It's interior decorating. It's the fabric of the curtains and the sofa. But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental soul of a man-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers of the product or service."

– Fortune magazine 2000

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Internet Start-ups:

"The problem with the internet start-up craze isn't that too many people are starting companies; it's that too many people aren't sticking with it. That's somewhat understandable, because there are many moments that are filled with despair and agony, when you have to fire people and cancel things and deal with very difficult situations. That's when you find out who you are and what your values are.

"So when these people sell out, even though they get fabulously rich, they're gypping themselves out of one of the potentially most rewarding experiences of their unfolding lives. Without it, they may never know their values or how to keep their newfound wealth in perspective."

– Fortune magazine 2000

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Life and what matters:

"Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful … that's what matters to me."

– Wall Street Journal 1993

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Simplicity:

"That's been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains."

– Business Week 1998

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Helping people:

"There's nothing that makes my day more than getting an e-mail from some random person in the universe who just bought an iPad over in the UK and tells me the story about how it's the coolest product they've ever brought home in their lives. That's what keeps me going. It's what kept me five years ago [when he was diagnosed with cancer], it's what kept me going 10 years ago when the doors were almost closed. And it's what will keep me going five years from now whatever happens."

- AllThingsD Conference, 2010

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Photo Credits: Apple Website