Do you manage time or does time manage you?

I read a beautiful quote recently – “If you don’t take control of time, time will start taking control of you”.

The importance of this quote can not be elaborated in words, but it’s something that can be experienced by everyone.

For a long time, I was trying to manage my time well. It’s something I had been wanting to do.
I wanted to have time for my family, my work, my hobbies, my goals and my learning. I used many apps available on the latest gadgets (phone, laptop etc etc) but nothing was working too well.

I then googled an article one day, “how do CEOs manage their time!?” . Ofcourse, the main answer that popped up was, ‘They all have PAs (Personal Assistants)’ but I also learned about this new Android app – Wunderlist in one of the articles. I must tell you it’s a pretty cool app.

It lets you create to do lists, set reminders, due dates, sort the tasks and a lot more. 

As we grow, our to do lists also start growing and getting bigger. However, our minds process information in the same way – logically. Our brains were not created to store vast amounts of information, but to process information in real time.

Hence, the fact that we have 100 tasks on our list should not intimidate us. We have to do just one task at a time and be done with it. The important question is : “Which task should be done when?”

A lot of people do not like deadlines. They prefer working as per their own schedules. I am also not a big fan of strict deadlines, but I do like to set personal deadlines by giving me enough time to analyze and learn. And recently, with my time management app, I think I’ve gotten better at it.

I now like the feeling of checking off tasks from my to do list and what encouraged me to do so, was the reminders feature on my phone app. We tend to ignore or forget some minor tasks in life, but they keep popping every few weeks or in a few months. Setting reminders helped me not ignore those tasks and check them off sooner.

Life is beautiful and offers so much to learn. We can miss out on a lot of things, if we don’t manage our time well.

Analyze what works best for you – what makes you check off tasks from your To do list. These are personal preferences and choices. The main learning here is that we manage time and do not let time manage us.

And in between all this, don’t forget to enjoy!

Life gets busy….People get busier….!

It’s amazing how life keeps getting busier day by day. We no longer have time to pursue our hobbies, meet our friends, bask in the sun, listen to the twittering of the birds, watch the sunset, feel the breeze….or just relax…!

Who’s responsible for making our life busier? Why can’t we take out time like we used to? Where are those days gone? Are we overburdened with responsibilities and to do lists?

Right since the time, a child is born, he gets busy doing something or the other.

As per the Bhagavad Gita, (a hindu scripture), there is not even one moment when a living being can stay idle – even breathing is a form of work.~~ ‘Being’ is work.

I watch ~ as life gets busy and people get busier. I play some relaxing music on the internet – nature’s sounds – because I don’t have time to hear the real sounds. I am too busy for that.

I think about what I am missing, how can I get it back, but it’s too far in the clouds – the moments with my family when I was a child, the fun and laughter of childhood, going to school – attendance register, lunch breaks, classrooms, college….it’s all gone! ~ Forever….

Even now, friends keep coming and going in my life. Thankfully, I have a life partner who shares the joys and sorrows with me.

Social life is not very social these days. I hear about happy hours a lot.~ I don’t drink, so I don’t really know how happy those hours are!?! 🙂 I once went out with some friends. who asked me why I don’t drink ~ I said, “I am always high on life anyway, so I don’t need drinks” 😉

I realize ~ I am being forced to become more and more practical with everyday realities of life. I can not entertain guests all the time. I can not find time for friends because I have my own chores to take care of. I am busy.

I don’t want to get so busy and the only way I can feel less busy is~  if I do what I love. So…. “I write”. ~ It makes me talk through my thoughts and I feel relaxed. I feel I have met a friend, to whom I narrated my story. A virtual friend.

When you feel really really busy, with no time to meet anyone at all, “do what you love”. It will make you feel good. It will make you feel alive. (for some brief moments at least)

Try to feel blessed. (amidst the confusions, office work, politics, social responsibilities, family chores, work pressures and everything else…..)

Feel alive by doing what you love. Life will always get busier. Get busy doing what makes you feel ALIVE.

Believing you are busy and actually being busy!

Everyone’s so busy these days! They have something or the other on their list all the time. As a result, there is no time for family or friends or fun….or life.

Next time, when you say “I’m busy”, think:
“Are you really busy?”
“Are you pretending to be busy?”
“Are you having the belief that you are busy?”

 The third point is a little tricky. You believe you’re busy, when you feel you have so many things left to do! ‘So many’ could refer to 10 things or it could even be 100 things. The exact figure could very well also be a belief.

This belief adds to a lot of confusion and bad time management. Everything in life needs to have a priority and a deadline.

When I was unmarried, I was not really a ‘To do List’ type of person. But, after getting married and also being in a full time job, I really need a ‘To Do’ List. In fact, I just make too many lists!

I realized today that because of all those lists, I was under the belief that I’m extremely busy. No doubt, I am busy but it’s not unmanageable. It can be handled with some level of organization. What I really needed was a little bit of organization for those ‘To do’ Lists.

We live one day at a time. Days are split up into hours. Every task has a deadline – a certain day… a certain hour (formal or informal).

Deadlines are sometimes scary but if they are considered as milestones, they are not so scary.

Time management is difficult if we keep switching from one task to another. I remember reading an article about multitasking and how it gives the illusion that a lot of tasks are getting done, whereas, none of the tasks may actually be getting completed.

When we are able to do a task and check-mark it as completed, that’s when it holds some value. Per my analysis, if we are able to complete at least 3-5 tasks in a day, we are doing a good job. (Tasks- here, refer to those that require some level of analytical thinking)

It’s important to know the difference between a belief and a reality because beliefs drive our realities. If we believe the right thing, we can find time to do the right thing.

Next time when you believe you are busy, make a list of the things on your plate and when you’re supposed to submit them. Maybe then, you’ll be able to make time for other things or maybe then, you’ll actually have time for other things.

Too Late!!

I read a quote today. Its image is posted below. It was tagged under ‘love quotes’, however I think its applicable to our entire life.

After reading it, I immediately thought, am I getting late at doing certain things? I also remembered one of my old posts, ‘Don’t procrastinate, Contemplate’. 

I recalled the folders I have created on my computer. I have four folders on my desktop titled Dream 1, Dream 2, Dream 3 and Dream 4. As I work on my dreams or collect the relevant material/information to make them come true, I place it in those folders.

One of those dreams has already come true! 🙂 The rest of them are a little tough, so I’m working on them. 😉

I know I keep repeating that, we need to enjoy every moment of life and make the most of it.

I am trying to approach the problem from a different angle today – From the eyes of people who say that their life is almost over and they have played their innings.

We all know that we have limited amount of time on this earth. We(including me!) still waste our time doing things which will hold no value for us ever.

Some of my relatives, friends, family – who are old now – say that their life is almost over. It makes me very sad, firstly because it makes me emotional and secondly because it makes me feel life is so transient. It’s a phase.

There is no guarantee about how long one is going to live and there is no point fearing it also. You fear the unknown but the fact that ‘life ends’ is known to everyone.

Knowing that life is precious encourages me to work harder on my dreams.

As long as you are alive, It’s never too late to work on your dreams and inspire others to work on theirs. Begin now.

Memories and Distance

Some people say ‘Memories get weaker and fade away as distance increases’. Sometimes the opposite in true, ‘Memories get stronger and come back to life as distance decreases’.

I found it easier to not miss my family when I was seven seas apart. I’m finding it difficult when I am two hours away! That’s life.

I think I am forgetting my previous post. I am here to create happy memories and share happy moments. That’s the goal.

Isn’t it strange that at times we feel, we can not live without some people and at other times, we feel ‘Oh sure we can’ and we keep switching, trying to keep ourselves strong.

Memories are a reflection of time – the journeys we undertook, the smiles and laughter, the emotions and tears. Memories are the only possession you have about your past, because the past is long gone!

Memories are in no way directly or inversely proportional to distance. They get stronger when you get weaker and they get weaker when you get stronger  – and by stronger I just mean practical, realistic and to some point unconcerned.

Distance makes you helpless and slowly our mind accepts the situation and we find happiness in our surroundings.

Physical distance can never distance you from your loved ones. That’s a bond that is formed during childhood and can never be shaken.

Bonds of the heart and stronger than bonds of the practical mind.

It’s true that people who are more practical, real and live for the present moment do not feel as much and maybe have long forgotten memories trapped somewhere in their mind. They are not better or worse than those who are emotional. It’s just a perception. It’s just what your heart and mind open up to!

Our heart has the power to reduce the distance between us and our memories.

Our mind on the other hand has the power to increase the distance between us and our memories.

Maybe that’s why balance of heart and mind is essential! Not sure if anyone can ever get perfect at this! 🙂 We live with the imbalance. 🙂

Blessings of Elders….! :)

Blessings of elders hold a lot of meaning in my life.. they are probably most significant and valuable for me, as compared to all the other expensive things in life!

Fun in the family, teachings of grandparents, unconditional love of parents, cheerfulness of kids and so on…….I’ve not enjoyed anything else …more than these little things!

I’m living so far away from my family that I miss these even more! 🙂

When any elderly person gives me blessings, I feel I have a connection with god. It’s a different kind of feeling….

When I am able to bring a smile to my family member’s face,  I , in turn feel happy.

In today’s world, the concept of family is losing its value. We are forgetting the wisdom and the lessons shared by our previous generations. Maybe, we just don’t have time for them.

I never consider talking to an elderly person, a waste of my time. No matter what the conversation is about, I’ve always felt there is some hidden lesson for me.

It’s a blessing to have a loving family… It’s an honor to have people around you who love you and respect you…who are there to wipe your tears and hug you when you need it!

It’s a beautiful emotion…..

I don’t know, if anybody can ever see god……but if you can respect your elders the same way… there’s really nothing else left to do. I feel sad when I see old people sitting all by themselves, in an old age home or when there’s no one around them to ask , how they are? 

Respect the elderly people because you will get old too! Take out time for them, no matter what.

Each wrinkle on their face recites the story of a decade! Those lessons are more precious than diamonds. Those are the pearls I’d like to collect throughout my life!

Don’t Procrastinate….. Contemplate…

How many times have you thought of going to the gym but could not find the time?

How many times did you start reading a book but never finished it?

How many times did you think of learning a new language or following a new hobby but then got busy?

Don’t procrastinate…Contemplate.

Isn’t it strange that we delay some things in life, even though we know for sure, they are good for us. We want to do a task and we plan to do it but then it never happens.

In reality, whenever we procrastinate, there is a reason behind it. There is something stopping us from doing that work. If we dive deeper, we can realize and be sure of what it is. A lot of times its laziness, sometimes it’s fear and other times it’s ignorance.

When ever you make a plan and then do not execute it, think – Why wasn’t I able to complete the task?
Is it because ‘I am incapable of doing it?’ – Most of the times, the answer will be no.
Is it because I am lazy – A lot of times the answer may be Yes.
Is it because its not in my priority list? – This is a tough one!

Do not free yourself or jump to another task until and unless you convince yourself and get the answer to ‘Why you are delaying a task?’

You will be amazed to see, how many of your weaknesses come in front of u. You will be amazed of the opportunities you will discover to improve yourself and get more out of life and out of your plans.

Next time when you say, “Oh! I will get to it someday” or may be, “I’ll do it tomorrow”, think of a reason why you will do it tomorrow and not today?

Most of the time, we only complete the tasks that we are supposed to. But, Life is not a task. Life is an exploration, a discovery. The day we can do more tasks that we think we can, we will be actually exploring possibilities.

The day we can plan and execute our day better, we can help others execute their days better.

Don’t procrastinate – Contemplate.

Life.. There’s always something left to do!

Whether it’s work, home, friends, family, children or any other aspect of your life, there is always something left to do! The house could have been cleaner, shopping could have been done last week, reading time could have been longer and work could have been more fulfilling.

There are things we could have done better and there are also things we could have done worse and it wouldn’t have mattered.

Our efforts have to directed in a way which makes most sense. Put in efforts where you are expecting maximum returns. Do not put in efforts where there are no returns.

How do we measure returns?  – Returns add value to our life. They help us grow intellectually or financially.

What is the point of investing time and efforts in an area that will not help us in any way? We may choose to do so, if we want to waste our time and efforts or maybe just for fun, but we have to understand that we will not get any returns. This also reduces the pressure and the expectation that ‘I have to get returns from this venture’.

We can only get good returns if we spend our time and energy wisely.

You can take hundreds of time management classes and seminars but the decision to take up a task or not, is very personal. The choices vary for every individual.

Something that makes sense to me, may not make sense to you at all.

We have 24 hours in a day and we only have three areas to focus on:

Home & Family
Work & Learning
Fun

Fun will not give returns but it is important to replenish our energies.

I am a perfectionist, so when I pick up a task, I really want to do it well. Sometimes, I do not move onto another task because of that first task at hand.

I read somewhere that after every hour of work, you need one minute of silence. I also read that if you work on something for half an hour and then try to shift your focus to another task and later come back to the first task, your mind gets to learn new things.

Train your mind so it can shift its focus on different things throughout the day. There will always be something left to do in every area but as long as all the areas are at par and none is neglected, a balance is maintained.

It is important to maintain balance in terms of people. Who holds most value for you and who does not? Are you spending your energies on a section of people who may not be there in your life the next week?
Are you giving maximum importance to your family?

People who help you grow intellectually or morally hold maximum value.
People, especially friends whom you meet for fun help you replenish your energies.
People who do not have any role in your life – and do not add any value to your life – should not add any worries or concerns to your life. Or rather, you should not be worried or concerned about them.

Filter your tasks and the people in your life, to make the most out of the resources at hand.

There is always something left to do and probably that’s the way life should be.

You’ve lost it! ;)

The moment you think… you’re not peaceful… or you’re not happy… the peace and happiness that exists within you is lost!

The moment you think you are less than others or do not have the ability to succeed… you’ve lost the power and motivation to succeed….

“Moment”… is a small droplet in the ocean of “Time” …. but isn’t this all we have?

A moment has the power to change your life! Your destiny! How can we underestimate the power of the moment??
While you think you are not capable of achieving your goals… you’ve already lost some precious moments…

While you’re busy thinking what others are doing, you’ve lost the moments in which you could have done something.

Each moment… Think that you are peaceful, happy and content.
You are living just for this moment…. as it will never come again…

Let me share a small story: I met a person in the office cafetaria one day. He was constantly tapping his feet and browsing on his phone while the cashier was collecting his credit card and swiping it on the machine. He seemed very restless and did not stand still. I did not know who he was. I was standing behind him and asked him, “You seem very busy and in a rush” He said…”I’m a very busy person. I have lots to do. I have to do something right now. I can not stand idle. I have to keep myself busy.”

I had a little smile on my face. I said…”Well… you could just stand and think.”

And then the cashier gave him his credit card and he left….(in a rush) 🙂

I think …he was trying to over-utilize his present moments… 🙂

Spend your moments wisely… and more importantly …peacefully… Be at peace…be content…be hopeful…for the next moment…
Plan for good… Plan for a better future.. a better moment…

I was driving back from work one day and while taking the exit, the car in front of me stopped suddenly..  I stopped too and then the car behind me stopped! It was scary for a moment…..but…it happens…The car in front of me had a sticker on it.. “Jesus listens” 🙂

These moments make you realize.. Life is too short…. Its just a collection of moments. Its a package. Its like an empty bag and it’s up to you, what you fill in that bag!

Fill each moment with colors, hopes, dreams, excitement, fun, joy, peace, love…. Fill them so that you’re happy… each moment.

The reason I named this article.. “You’ve lost it! ” is because…. Next time, when you are not happy or peaceful… think how many moments you’re losing…. Moments that could change your life…

One more small peace of advice.. Don’t be angry for too long.. whether its your fault or not.. it’s not worth it…! It’s just not worth it! Saying sorry never makes anyone small. Not saying sorry (when it is really not your fault) does not make anyone big. 🙂

Don’t let life say to you…. “Sorry dude.. you’ve lost it! ” 😉 🙂