Interest vs. commitment: a matter of time management

September 18, 2007 · Posted in Choices, Management, Time Management 

Time is the one commodity that we are all freely given. Though it is precious, it is also our most perishable commodity. Regardless of what you hear, you will never save any time. You may do a task in a more efficient manner and be able to move on to something else, but you will never have any more time than your allotted 24 hours in each day.

If you don’t manage your time…

However, by the effective management of our time today, we can create the future that we desire. As the old saying goes, “If you don’t manage your time, your time will manage you.” There must be a commitment to the development of a plan for effective time management. You do not manage your time by accident. It is only done through a definite, systematic plan.

Commitment vs. Interest

Many people are deluded. They truly believe that they are committed to managing their time, but they seldom exhibit this in their lives. Conversations with these people often have comments like:

  • “there just isn’t enough time in the day”
  • “I don’t have enough time”
  • “I am too busy”

…sprinkled throughout the dialogue. Perhaps there is a misunderstanding of “commitment”. Here is a short example that helps me remember what commitment really is.

Two men, Bob and Tom, were traveling down a small river in a canoe. It was a nice, simple trip. Just a lazy day drifting. But on this particular day Bob and Tom each shifted in the canoe at the same time, in the same direction, which resulted in the canoe capsizing.

Bob was interested

Bob, being an excellent swimmer, came up and slowly considered the temperature of the water and how refreshing it made him feel, then lazily began swimming toward the side of the river. Bob was interested in getting out of the water because he was uncomfortable.

Tom was committed

Tom however, did not know how to swim. When he surfaced, he did not care how refreshing the water felt or what the water’s temperature was. He didn’t even notice the water’s temperature. He simply gasped for air and began to fight, all the while frantically searching for something to grab onto. He pushed, pulled and struggled to breathe. Tom could see the shoreline and he desperately wanted out of the river. Tom was committed to doing whatever necessary to get to the shoreline. For Tom, getting out of the river was not just a “good idea” or “an excellent theory”. It was the key to his survival. Tom was committed to doing whatever was necessary because he wanted to survive.

Effective time management requires daily commitment

Like Bob, most people are interested in time management. They think that it is a good idea. The highly effective, successful few are like Tom. They realize that their survival and their future depend on their commitment to a systematic plan of time management. They are as committed to time management as they are to breathing.

Study time management. Study your lifestyle. Do the two compliment each other or do they clash? What we become tomorrow will be the result of:

  • how we think today
  • what we do today
  • how we use our daily allotment of 24 hours

Commit to a time management philosophy today.

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