How often do we hear colleagues, friends or family members lamenting for more time in the day or, that they were so far adrift on some project or goal that they didn’t think they were ever going to complete it?
Well, ‘out of bad cometh good.’ As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown, most of us suddenly find ourselves on an unscheduled sabbatical which may last anywhere from one to three months, optimistically thinking that is, it could be longer. So what are we planning to do with this slate of precious time which has been unexpectedly presented to us?
The Masters of Time, the slim minority amongst us who excel at personal time management, are once again ahead of the game and are already gobbling up this opportunity with some project which they had scheduled for later this year. What about the rest of us, many of whom are life members of the procrastination club, and can never seem to be quite up to date with our personal affairs? Are we going to throw back on the couch and let the television set while away the time or will we grasp this chance to put our personal affairs in order?
Time coaches will advise that we maintain our regular workday schedule as we commence the onerous task of tackling our bad habits of procrastination and general lack of organization in our personal lives. The old adage ‘bad habits are hard to break and good habits are harder to form’ should be our hourly mantra. Experts claim one has to execute a task for twenty-one consecutive days before it becomes a routine habit.
Of course, we will prepare the inevitable ‘To-Do-List,’ which will of course vary from one to the other, but will certainly have many common entries such as, make a will, ensure all important papers such as tax returns are properly filed and stored, schedule long overdue medical, clean out garage and store room, schedule meeting with personal trainer and commence long overdue diet and exercise programme. Although our lists will vary, they are comprised of entries which should never have been there in the first instance.
The real challenge will be turning this list into one of action, which is always easier said than done. After prioritizing our personalized lists, and the enormity of the years of procrastination hits us squarely in the face, we must not succumb to the temptation of putting off (once again) the difficult decisions which we will be confronted with, once we actually commence working on the list. The simple trick, the Masters of Time will inform us, is to work on one item at a time until its completion, which is second nature to them.
As we make good use of this unscheduled sabbatical, we must remember at all times, the responsibility we have to each other in following the provided guidelines for the current crisis enveloping the planet. Seize the time.
