Time Management: Know the Secrets Behind the Concept of Time and Use Them for Your Best Advantage

1: Introduction:

Time is the greatest mystery of Nature. Science uses each and every micro second for its research whereas Philosophers state it as a mere illusion. Which is true among the two? This article analyses all the aspects and gives both Scientific and Philosophical definitions of Time. Also suggestions for the best advantage of Time to come up in life are also given. For this, sayings of elders by way of ‘Timeless’ quotations are also used.

2. Three Definitions of Time:

2.1. Time Is Money:

It is our common experience how moneyed people ‘purchase’ time. Please look at the following example. If I walk down the distance from my place to Delhi, it will take months together to reach the destination. If I have some money I can go by train and reach in 30 hours. But if I have enough money I can fly and reach in 3 Hours. During earlier days, Saints used to go to Himalayas for performing penance, by walk. It took years for them to return. But nowadays, a company M.D travels to Delhi and return the same evening. In fact, it is a scientific achievement. But unless one does not have money, he cannot reap the fruits of this scientific achievement, whereby saving hundreds of hours in travel.

There are several examples to drive home this point. A patient can have admission with a physician in no time if he had money, whereas a poor man has to wait in veranda for hours together. Even life can be prolonged if one has enough wealth to spend on costly medical treatments. The medical facilities available for a moneyed person make him live long whereas the have-nots have a pathetic early deaths.

This simple example will prove that Time is Money. For a moneyed person, time is at his disposal. So, one should know to save time like he saves money. Compared to money, Time is important and so, a person should be prudent enough to choose between money and time weighing which is more important at a particular point of time.

2.2. Time Is Energy:

We are aware that we spend huge energy in getting works done. By the same examples given above, we can realise that Time is energy. If I wish to construct a dwelling house, there are two ways of doing it. First way is, like a man living in forest, I can add brick after brick, wood after wood without spending money and I can make the house in a leisurely way. Another method is spending huge money, engage labourers and complete the work in ten days time. Thus I am saving lot of energy by saving time and Energy and spending energy.

Also we are aware that time is associated with movement, movement of the Sun, the Earth etc. Time is measured by movements of clocks. Movements mean change in Energy. Hence it may be easily proved that Time is Energy. Here also one should not waste either energy or time but should have a balance between the two.

2.3. Time Is Thought:

J.Krishnamurti, perhaps may be the first Philosopher who classified time into two. One is material time, and the other is Psychological time. Material time is that which is associated with movement of Sun and other planetary bodies which we observe and follow whereas psychological time relates to the mind. Mind means, it is collection of thoughts. Movements of thoughts involve change in energy and also perceived as time. In other words, thought is also another form of Time. Too much brooding over trivial matters involves waste of time and one should be sensitive to any issue and quick in taking decisions to make constructive use of time.

3. How to use Time for Our Best Advantage? (Supported by age old quotations which the author came across while teaching Personality Development Courses)

3.1.’Time is the capital God (Nature) has given equally to all human beings. Some use it, some fritter it’.

This quotation from an unknown source explains the nature of time extremely well which no science or philosophy could explain. For any living creature, the day starts when the Sun rises (say at 6 A.M) and ends at Sun set (say at 6 P.M). For everybody 24 Hours constitute a whole day including the 12 hours of the night, 7 days constitute a week, 12 months a year etc. This capital is equal to all. But some use the capital for their best advantage and come up in life and some others simply waste the capital and die un-noticed.

The following simple examples will highlight the importance of time’s utility in one life. A student has one year to study in a class. He simply wastes the time in entertainments and gossiping. The other one also has the same one year. He scrupulously attends classes, prepares well and acquires first rank. His future is assured because of the prudent use of time.

In an office an equal experience of five years is fixed for all, for the next promotion. But some indulge in wasting their time and only some get promotion by hard work and devotion.

Hence the importance of usage of time can be seen and understood from the above quotation which is pregnant with meaning.

3.2. ‘Procrastination is the thief of time’:

The other meanings of the word procrastination are delaying, postponing, adjourning etc. Some people have the habit of postponing everything. For them, the following quotation will also apply. ‘A stitch in time saves nine’. Tomorrow is two days late for yesterday’s work. One should never postpone things unless when it is absolutely needed. Anything may happen to stop the progress during the period of postponement. Even death may happen during the intervening period. Hence one should think that they will die within hours and complete the works and leave office.

3.3. ‘Time and Tide wait for none’

The full moon will not wait till one’s sweetheart arrives. Any day is an auspicious day and any time is auspicious. Some people have the habit of consulting astrologers even for trivial matters.

During the time they would be waiting for the auspicious time, others might have shown remarkable progress and gone far ahead.

3.4.’One day is worth two tomorrows:’

‘Past is a stale cheque which is invalid, future is a post dated cheque, not ready for payment, only present is a valid cheque, use it to your best advantage’. “A bird in hand is worth two in the bush’; there are so many quotations of this sort to explain the value of present tense. Let us be aware of the ‘present’ which is the only reality.

3.5.’If you want to add 10 years to your life, practice getting up at 5 A.M daily instead of 7 A.M for 40 years.’

A person getting up early gains time to that extent. He can reach early to whatever work he has to attend on that day. Early bird catches the worm is another quotation to drive home this aspect effectively. One would be able to earn the money he had spent, but he cannot earn the time he lost in delaying. Hence saving two hours per day is really an asset, like having a recurring deposit in a bank.

3.6: ‘The less one has to do, there is less time to do it”

The concept of ‘No work’ is tantamount to more and more laziness. If one does not have work, he will not entertain even a small work which comes across his way, whereas if a person has a large complement of work he will find time to complete all the work. A busy person never complains about lack of time.

3.7.’Every moment spent in Planning helps save three or four in execution’:

PLANNING is the most powerful tool to save time. In fact it takes time to save time. One should allot some time daily for planning the daily schedule of works. Priority is of paramount importance. What is to be done first is to be decided and others should follow it according to the seriousness and importance associated with them. There is no harm in postponing things which are not important.

3.8. ‘Punctuality is the Graceful courtesy of a Prince’.

Punctuality is a measure of one man’s discipline. In fact, a punctual person will reach the appointed place 10 minutes early. During the time he waits, he will be planning for the next assignment. Punctuality as a discipline will bring always name and fame.

3.9.’A man’s intellectual and moral character will seem weak if he is habitually unfaithful in his appointments’.

One should always keep up the appointments to maintain his fair name. It is a measure of integrity. If it is not possible to keep up, due to unforeseen and avoidable circumstances, at least that fact is to be informed to those who are waiting. Others’ time is equally important, sometimes more important.

3.10. ‘Arrears of work are like unpaid debts. The interest becomes more than the principal’.

People are fond of saying that ‘I have a lot of files on table’, or ‘I have lot of work to clear’ etc. Having lot of files or work is not a criterion for efficiency. The pending works accumulate like unpaid loans and one day it will swallow the person who accumulates work.

Part III: Conclusion:

Thus we have seen three aspects of Time which may be well understood to understand the real significance of Time. Ten suggestions for the best use of Time are also given supported by age old sayings. As conclusion, it is ascertained that Time is, in a way equal in value or more valuable than gold or Deposits in a bank, because we can regain the former in case, they are lost and can never regain Time if it is lost.

It is sincerely hoped that readers will be greatly benefited by following the above suggestions.

The author wishes the readers All the Best.

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