Wise people say, ‘To know the value of one year, ask a student who has failed in a national exam like KCSE. To know the value of one month, ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby. To know the value of one week, ask an editor who works on a weekly newspaper. To know the value of one day, ask a daily casual labourer who has ten mouths to feed. To know the value of one hour, ask a lad and lass who are madly in love, and eager to meet. To know the value of one minute, ask a person who has just missed a flight. To know the value of a second, ask a person who has just witnessed an accident episode. To know the value of a millisecond, ask an elite athlete poised to bag a gold medal.’
Time is the currency of life. After looking at Gas Laws — Boyle’s Law and Charles’ Law — you can also perfectly coin your own law in relation to time, “Today, is directly proportional to tomorrow, God’s favour being a constant.” Bad news is that time flies, however, good news is that you are the pilot. You cannot kill time without injuring your future.
Time is so important to an extent that it determines our ultimate position, even direction and destiny. Time is the metre that measures the relevance of our progress and success. Wisdom and time are inseparable. Proper stewardship of time is tantamount to wisdom. Those who manage time are wise, while those who cannot manage it are otherwise. No wonder, Psalms 90:12 harps, “Teach us to number our days right that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
Pareto Principle: 80/20 Rule
Have you ever heard of Pareto Principle or the 80/20 Rule? The brainchild of this rule was Wilfredo Pareto — the brilliant economist from Italy. Pareto is one of the timeless tools used in time management. Pareto noted that people in the society seem to divide time naturally into what he christened as vital few. In his opinion, only 20% of people in an economy contributed to economic development and growth. 80% had no significant contribution. In its application, somehow, 20% of your activities account for 80% of your results. 20% of your friends account for 80% of the value you get from all your friends.
We can apply this pristine principle in this life rife with issues. If you have a list of 10 activities to do, 2 of the activities turn out to be worth your time more than the 8. Therefore, it is imperative to ask yourself, what is the top 20% of the activities or the bottom 80%? Most people obtain 80% of their actual results from 20% of actual effort put in place.
Three Categories of Time
In relation to commitment, we can categorize time as predictable, discretionary and imposed.
Predictable time is the duration already committed to activities such as classes, discussion, games, entertainment, et cetera.
Discretionary time is the amount of time available, and not already committed to some activities. Plan it in a manner consistent with your lifestyle. It helps you to accomplish priorities in life. You can create discretionary time depending on one’s core values or priorities in life.
Imposed time is unpredictable. You create it to commit to activities not planned per se. Activities including emergencies, home chores, or school-related assignments, people dropping by to visit, getting stuck in traffic, extended meetings, emerging deadlines, unplanned surfing on internet and telling unplanned stories with friends. People with poor time management skills are victims of predictable and imposed time. You become a victim of predictable time when you allocate available time to things that may not be valuable or not considered as priority.
Importance of Time Managemen
Proper management of time boosts students’ self-concept, self-awareness and self-esteem. It props up mental strength and stamina. It enhances the skill of decision-making and cultivates a culture of discipline. It enables students to pursue the right path and purpose in life.
We cannot save time. We cannot recover it. Time is a resource given to us by God. Therefore, being a good steward of time means more than just increasing productivity. Wise use of time management tools adds heft to the quality of life.
The difference among people in terms of health, wealth, performance, excellence and peace; can be attributed to how they spend time. Some commit their time to meaningful activities, while others focus on activities that do not add gravitas to the game of life. Proper stewardship of time enhances personal effectiveness in life. Time influences one’s well-being and wellness. The degree to which one feels — in control of time — is a major determinant of one’s level of mental health. A feeling of being ‘out of control’ of one’s time is the major source of most stress-related issues.
Principles of Time Management
In order to manage time efficiently and effectively, it is good to focus on the following principles: the ravenous desire to control it, choosing to be decisive, being determined and embracing different forms of discipline.
Proper stewardship of time begins with the skill of self-management, premised on self-awareness and self-discipline. In order for students to be steadfast stewards of time, it behooves them to set their priorities right. There is the exigent need of an all-inclusive timetable. Wise use of time will require the student to come up with a what-to-do-list or task list on daily basis.
When schools are closed and students remain holed up at home, wise use of time means that they strike a beautiful balance, when it comes to personal study, attendance to home chores and leisure time. They must arrest thieves of time such as complacency, procrastination, laziness, lassitude, a lot of sleep, disorganisation and walking with wayward friends.
© Victor Ochieng’
The writer is an author and a public speaker. vochieng.90@gmail.com. 0704420232
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