CA JEETENDRA MISTRY
SERIES - TIME MANAGEMENT – 9
PRACTICAL EXAMPLE OF TIME MANAGEMENT WITH “ROLES AND GOALS”
In this series of Time Management, in last 8 articles on Time Management, we identified Characteristics of Time, concept of Time Management and how it shapes out to be Life Leadership, G-D-P (i.e. Goal, Direction and Process) of Time Management, and we identified six Time Wasters and Time Savers. In last article, we discussed ultimate of Time Management – which is known as T/M Matrix and results-effects of each quadrant.
Let me now discuss Life Tree where principles – which are Universal truths, our internal conscience to guide us in moment of crisis, are ROOTS. Our Missions, may be different under different circumstances, may be closed down to main 2 objectives, like joy of Doing and Sense of Fulfillment. Mission is considered as TRUNK of Life Tree. Roles in our real life may be categorized in different ways, like discussed earlier. One is son/daughter of parent, but is parent of his/her son/daughter. Different Roles under each category – Physical, Social, Mental/Spiritual may be identified.
I want you to identify your ROLE as for yourself as well – to have time spared for your inner self, which is put under Mental/Spiritual category. This is sacred time you need to ponder over the reason for your existence here on this planet, which is destined to be specific.
Here we have to choose TRANSCENDENCE instead of TRANSMISSION, i.e. to go to top from bottom rather than to come from top to bottom. One’s Principles in Life help one to decide on Mission, which may be fulfilled thru different Roles one has to play continuously.
Let us practically implement the concept of “Roles and Goals in Time Management” thru real life experiences. Let us plan it thru Monthly-Weekly Planner, after analyzing various goals under each role you need to handle.
You are a professional person, having job with MNC, where you have holidays on every Saturday-Sunday. You are Senior Manager at MNC, where you have to attend Senor Managers meeting every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 11 to 1. Similarly, you need to hold meeting of your team of 10 persons daily at 10 to 11, to consider the progress made for the projects on hands and to guide for future course of actions to be taken up.
You have family of 4 persons, having you, your spouse with 2 children. You are also a member of a famous club, carrying on social activities. You also like spiritual seminars delivered every Monday late evening from 8 to 10. You have to attend parents meeting for your children on Saturday morning 10 onwards. You have interests in personality development activities for self and family, which holds meeting on Saturday night at 8 to 10.
You are health conscious and daily go for 45 minutes’ walk in the morning as personal preference and then spend 45 minutes for exercise. You are voracious reader and like to read new books and spend at least 1 hour daily evening. You meditate daily for 30 minutes at night before sleeping.
Let us now analyze practically, how to handle such case-study? “First Things First” suggests to allot your prior schedules in your weekly planner and then to adjust balance available time for rest. You have to manage for 45 + 45 minutes in morning for walk and exercise and it takes your morning routines taking 90 minutes, before leaving for office at 9 am. In such case, you must get up before 6 am. If you need rest of at least 7 hours daily, you must plan to sleep by 11 pm and get up before 6 am, such that you can leave for office at 9 am. You need to prepare next day’s agenda of staff meeting ready before leaving office at 6 pm.
After reaching office, you attend for a meeting with your Team daily and second meeting with top management on Tuesday and Thursday. Since you have prior meetings set up as per schedule, you need to re-schedule rest of meetings accordingly. Your social-spiritual activities on Monday and Saturday and School’s parents meeting on Saturday morning also need to be provided for.
Your personal preference of reading for 1 hour daily and half an hour of meditation may be planned accordingly. Rest of time, you may plan other urgent works.
FTF Weekly Planner offers you flexibility of managing balance time available. You may spend your available time more productively, with having spare time to be spent on pursuing your passion and leisure activities.
Let us consider one illustration. We know that 31st of current month is last date of filing Tender, and we prepare relevant data for the same, but do not file it under consideration that more inputs at later date may help us to revise it. If by any chance, you fall sick on 31st and cannot file Tender, which was very important, what excuse would you have? “Busyness”
An honest answer to the following question is needed to be asked by everyone to one-self: “What is that one thing, which you did regularly and consistently, which could have got you more significant and positive results in your personal/professional life?” e.g. if I have chronic problem of sinus, regular “pranayam” exercise may help me getting solution for it. But answer would be my “Busyness”.
The answer may be very common in both the cases of personal or professional areas– “You are too busy to spare time for.” This “Busyness” is real culprit of all evils. If you recall “Bhagwad Geeta”, you may be reminded of Duryodhana, who had similar dilemma in life – “Jaanaami Dharmam, na cha me pravrutti hi; Jaanaami adharmam, na cha me nivruttihi”.
BUSYNESS in real sense is –
Just an Excuse, Hiding self behind reality. We use this excuse to show off to others that we are too busy to do that particular work. Maybe we are under impression that “If we are not busy, we are not important.”
Escapism mentality – which leads us to resort to activities falling under quadrant IV – not urgent and not important. This helps us to avoid taking responsibility for positive results.
With our so-called busyness, we become victim of self-destructive behaviour, called Urgency-addiction. Busyness is an excuse to fill the void created by ourselves to satisfy our unfulfilled needs, hence we forget at times, “First Things First” and spend out available time to lesser important works under guise of Busyness.
So setting up priorities, under each role and allot time for each goal under each role, shall help you to properly manage your time.
JEETNDRA MISTRY
jeetendram@hotmail.com
