A THING OR TWO I HAVE LEARNT ABOUT TIME MANAGEMENT

Last week I made important decisions regarding some of my long term plans. For the most part of this year, I have let other things distract me–even hive because I was reluctant to commit to something new. However, I took that quantum leap this week to give my goals a shot and I discovered a couple of things.

Taking on new tasks/initiatives has and will always be a struggle, even for someone as capricious as myself. The reality is that we are all creatures of habit and we are more likely to stick to things that make us comfortable, and comfort isn’t always good for us.

I have been comfortable with the life I have. It is not a lot but it is far better than what most people in my sphere have, however it is not enough--for me (anymore). I have also come to terms with the fact that other people’s realities are not the same as mine. I am more responsible for more people than I would want and I may never grow as far as I want to because there will be something or someone to draw me back.

I am not going to save my way out of this situation because my case isn’t one of extravagance. I need to earn more and the only way I can do that is by being of more value to my community. That necessities learning better skills and also putting myself out there. The world is bigger than the four walls of my room. Plus, I do have the potential of 10x what I make currently make, so why not give it a shot?

TIME IS THE ENEMY

Too much time…

When it comes to personal development, time can often work against us. From my experience, I have been hesitant to make decisions because I feel that I have an abundance of time. There is always the need to delay things either due to fear or the perceived lack of resources. So I end up stalling. For instance, I noticed that have been spending my entire day on hive, commenting, curating, posting, etc in the most inefficient way to the point where I thought I could not add any other activity to my schedule but that has changed this week.

In the space of 2-3 hours, I am able to do more than I did last week. This isn’t because I am overly motivated. I just have better management of my time. I got my clue from my partner who manages a day job, and her crotchet business and still have the time to post and engage on hive. It can be stressful but she manages to do all these things daily, so I don't have an excuse.

I thought I was going to have to drop my activities on hive to focus on coding but that has not been the case because I have managed my time well so far this week and still have room for unplanned events.

Not enough time…

Also, the perceived lack of time can be a source of anxiety. Most people never do anything because they feel they don’t have enough time. I am twenty-seven and I often get caught up in the narrative that I am old and I cannot reinvent myself the way I should. It is quite ironic when people older than me who struggle with the same anxiety tell me the same thing. So basically it is all in the mind. This is one of the things Gary Vee talks about (forget the NFT bullshit) and I think more people need to realise that they can change their life; go back to college; start that business, whatever it is that they imagine.

THE FEAR OF FAILURE

We all have to deal with our inner critic–the voice of pessimism in our heads that keeps telling us everything is impossible. We often call it being rational or logistic, but it is not and I can say that no one in the history of this world has done anything significantly by doing what was seemingly possible.

Also, the other mitigator to growth has to be our past. This is not the first time I am taking on coding. I have failed in the past and the odds are stacked against me. I could sit and fold my arms, but I refuse to be defined by my past mistake. I will not give up on my dream. I might fail a couple of times but I might get it right this time, and with that in mind I keep pushing. As they say, “it does not matter how many times you fall. What truly matters is how many times you are willing to stand up again.” These are the things that define character.

CONCLUSION

We all can take control of our lives by making better use of our time. This is one of the lessons I have learnt this week so far. Structure your life in the way that works for you. Being intentional about these things will open your eyes to a whole range of possibilities, and you will begin to make changes that will impact your life in the short and long term.

Image SOurce

---