In a previous post, The Productivity Gap: Analyzing the Root Cause, I talked about two possible reasons why I wasn’t being productive when I had to be, the first being the fact that I created a to-do list that overwhelmed me to the point of freezing my creativity and my overall ability to start writing and beat my self-assigned deadlines.
Image credit: dan | FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Aside from my full-time job, at that time, I was taking on freelancing work that took up most of my “free” time, wrenching my freedom away from my grasp, as a result, and bombarding me with more work than I could possibly take on alone.
Life management and how we utilize our time
Enter Ron Lacson, an awesome and talented friend blogger from Journey to Liberty, and his equally awesome comment that prompted me to write this post:
Hi Cel,
My mother used to say that our greatest ally while we are still walking on this planet is … time. That’s the intent behind the word lifetime – life and time – they go together as partners until we cease to breath.
Unsuitably, many of us fail to capitalize on their partnership. Either we go with life without respect for time, or we spend so much time without regards to what is important in life.
I used to be a fan of Time Management, but again, as you said, not many people improve their skill in applying it (I’m no exception). The word ‘lifetime’ has both the words ‘life’ and ‘time’ in it, but life is written first.
So I tend to believe that if we manage our life first, managing our time is an auto result. I would then go for Life Management anytime.
I like the way you wrote ‘Deadlines be damned!’ (I keep smiling when I read it.) You’re not alone in this. Deadlines are such nerve-wrecking ingredients in our daily lives.
But I won’t worry about the nitty-gritty details of our hourly or daily activities. As long as we keep ourselves focused on the bigger pictures (the grandeur of our goals in the future), then our ride and journey to the path we choose will be enjoyable.
/Ron/
Just awesome, isn’t it?
This blog post, as a matter of fact, has long been overdue. But as they say, better late than never, right?
Thanks to Ron and his ability to write comments that are more valuable than the post itself, I found myself taking a step back and analyzing my usage of time and management of life – life with my family, friends and my colleagues at work, be that in my full-time job or my freelancing endeavors.
Indeed, a lot of us find ourselves lost in the details of our daily lives that we end up forgetting to look at the overall picture – the fact that time and life are tied together, to borrow Ron’s words.
Because of our preoccupation with the inconsequential, we blur our vision of the things that really matter and sacrifice more than we care to admit in favor of those that we can live without.
And yes, I’m no exception.
But of course, it’s never too late to change tack.
Thank goodness for friends who care
At about the same time the Productivity Gap blog post was written, a client of mine had asked me to write an article to be published in his blog. The post found itself in the mediocre scale. Even I was aware of that, and my good sense had screamed that I rewrite the article.
My stubbornness, however, propelled me to click on the Send button so I could move on to write some more for another client. For the first time in our one-plus years of working history together, he had asked that I rewrite it.
I had to apologize, and I somehow found myself explaining that I had taken on more freelancing work than I was supposed to, leaving me rattled and sleepless more than ever. His advice? Gather myself together and remember my priorities, which he good-naturedly spelled out for me:
- Family
- Full-time job
- Freelancing gigs
[If you’re reading this, thanks, D. :)]
Final word
There may only be 24 hours in a day, but if we really make the most of those 24 hours, there are a lot of things we can do. However, just like Ron’s comment had pointed out, it’s either we go with life without respect for time, or we spend so much time without regards to what is important in life.
Whichever is the case, the choice rests solely on our shoulders. But of course, we can also choose both life and time to create a lifetime worth living.
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I think you wrote this article for me Maricel. Not only is it Father’s Day, but I am a Freelance Web Designer trying to balance a full time job also that is taking about 10 hours out of my day. My family suffers when I am over worked because it is always them that gets put aside. I am going to try to manage my life and put my family ahead of my work.
Larry James recently posted…Where Your Visitors Will Look When They Come To Your Website (Probably)
Hi Larry, thanks for the comment and the share. Very much appreciated. 🙂
Dads like you and moms like me oftentimes find ourselves caught up in so many things, especially if we’re trying to balance work and family. It’s a tough act, and you’re right, regretfully, sometimes it’s our family that has to make do with whatever time we have left for them, which, in a lot of cases, is not really enough.
Same here, I’ve decided to take on less freelance work from now on and instead give more of me to my family.
Happy Father’s Day to a great dad like you, Larry!
Maricel Rivera recently posted…Speed Writing Is Not Rocket Science, Or Is It?
Hi Cel,
Really really excellent post.
I could not stop reading. My LIFE was captured in moments of TIME. 🙂
We have heard the phrase ‘as time passes’, but the truth is… it doesn’t.
Time actually continues and doesn’t take a lunch break.
Time will also be there oblivious of whether we fail or succeed, resting or blasting with energy, happy or stressed. It’s the way we treat or manage our life that makes our journey meaningful, and time is a tool that can be our friend.
So you hit the money pot when you wrote : “Because of our preoccupation with the inconsequential, we blur our vision of the things that really matter and sacrifice more than we care to admit in favor of those that we can live without.”
Thank you for writing it.
The only way to maintain sanity is to afford ourselves the clarity to our vision of the things that really matter…, of the things that are not just important but also those that define and manifest our values.
And when you conclude that ” ….we can also choose both life and time to create a lifetime worth living”, I then knew that I will forever be grateful that I read your post, because that message shall always pull a bell in my LIFE… all the TIME. :).
/Ron/
Ron recently posted…A Dad for Life
Ron,
Your ability to weave beauty through words is simply amazing. And I thank you for gracing my humble blog with your insightful comments every now and then. Indeed, the word is mightier than the sword.
One thing your comment (which has been the central theme of this article) has somehow taught me is take on less freelancing work so I can focus on the things that matter a lot to me – my children, my family. And because I now value my time, therefore my life, more than ever, the next skill I need to master is negotiation and the ability to say “yes” only to those potential clients who will pay a premium for my time.
That comment had been a blessing to me, Ron. Thank you!
Maricel Rivera recently posted…Should I Quit My Job or Stay?