WHERE IS THE JOY IN WASTING TIME?

Much may be done in those little shreds and patches of time which every day produces, and which most men throw away.  

Charles Caleb Colton

 We need to identify what we want before we can master the use of time.  “No wind can be favorable,” declared the sixteenth century Dutch prince William of Orange, “for one who knows not where he’s going.” A few are blessed with stunning clarity as to what they desire. For most, a great part of who we are, what we want or need and who we desire to become remains fuzzy. Sometimes we have clear awareness of what we want, sometimes we have merely vague impressions and weak preferences. Mastery demands that we pay attention and gain greater awareness as to what we want and what works and what doesn’t work in our life. Becoming watchful observers of time helps reduce mistaken notions about how long things take and whether time is available for what’s planned. Poor estimates lead to overwork, missed deadlines, frustrations and habitual lateness. Habitual lateness can be interpreted as irresponsible behavior. If an individual can never show up for a meeting or social engagement on time, why should anyone trust this individual to be reliable in other areas of life? It feels like a broken commitment and the other party feels discounted. Why do you need people in your life who discount you and don’t value or respect your time?

Paying attention helps us understand what actually happens as our day unfolds, this information (measured in hours and minutes) helps us become more efficient and precise. When problems arise; we rationalize that this is just the nature of existence. Rationalization is always easier than identifying and confronting the relevant, few key causes. When you waste time, you waste energy. Mastery is not just information or an attitude, but a practical experience that can be put to work only through concentrating on the use of our time – hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, annually, and existentially. The goal of time mastery is to know:

•  How every instant should be spent. Thoughts need to be focused on what’s relevant at the moment and how that time should be used in relation to goals.
•  To understand personal weaknesses and shortcomings and learn ways to overcome.
•  To develop accurate estimates of time required for routine or repetitive tasks.
•  Development of systems to insure nothing essential is forgotten.

We have to unlearn the Puritan work ethic and  uncouple the mental link between hard work and desired results. We have been conditioned to enjoy hard work because it makes us feel virtuous. Hard work alone only means that you have worked hard; but hard work combined with insight, creativity and work that is congruent with who you really are leads to greater results and gains. Here is a quote that may be unsettling to those who believe that those who mindlessly work hard will be properly rewarded:

•    “There are only four types of officers. First, there are the lazy, stupid ones. Leave them alone, they do no harm…Second, there are the hard-working intelligent ones. They make excellent staff officers, ensuring that every detail is properly considered. Third, there are the hard-working stupid ones. These people are a menace and must be fired at once. They create irrelevant work for everybody. Finally, there are the intelligent lazy ones. They are suited for the highest office.” – General Von Manstein on the German Officer Corps .