The 4 Laws of Time Management and How They Affect You.
In my book “Take Charge of Your Time Charge of Your Time Take Charge of Your Life”, I took the time to explain the concept of the 4 laws of time management. Time is a resource, and it is the most limited that is directly attached to the factors of production. Recently we have come to know that the factors of production are capital, land, entrepreneur and labor. Land and knowledge according to Peter Drucker are only useful and relevant within a time frame. Everything that you will achieve in life will be done within a time frame. For example, there are 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week and 12 months in a year. These are time frames that we use to determine our progress or otherwise be it in achieving our personal or business goals.
The ability to manage this limited resource which is important to all your actions and activities will determine if you will be satisfied with your success or be mad at yourself for selling yourself short on the road to success. Another thing I want to bring to your attention is that we cannot do all that we want to achieve and so it is only logical to do what matters most and that is where time management comes into play. Time management as a tool towards self-actualization is a relatively new concept and was birthed from the concept of production management. In my eBook which can be downloaded at www.rosewindowconsulting.com, I also mentioned that the 4 laws of time management will broaden your perspective about seeing the big picture before setting out to achieve what you want to achieve. We are running a series of sessions on time management training for personal and organizational effectiveness, and I would love you to be a part of this one of these days. You can also check out tips on time management from the numerous resources that abound on the internet. For this article, I will briefly explain the 4 laws of time management and how they affect you.
Law 1: Time waits for no man; it is a friend to anyone who seizes it whenever it knocks on his door:
That is a true saying. The fact that you refused to wake up from your bed in the morning doesn’t mean that the time will stop ticking. Life goes on even if you don’t want it to. You must take hold of your time by getting up to do what you want to do daily and consistently, no shadowboxing or mind travelling when it comes to this. Time waits for no one. You just have to plug yourself into the system and get rolled in daily. Take hold of your time by doing what you are supposed to do and don’t procrastinate. We will all get old even if we don’t want to or at most cease to exist after our demise. It is important to keep a legacy by seizing the opportunity to be what you want to be when you can.
Law 2: The tendency to utilize time effectively and efficiently is compared to the achievement of success:
This statement further expands the search for the appropriate definition of the word success. Some people believe that success means accomplishing what is planned while others believe that success means getting to start doing what you intended to do. I believe strongly that success starts when you decide to start moving towards your goals. Success to me is a process and not an end. It is also relative and subjective to what your intentions are. However, for this article when you start working towards your goals it is comparable to reaching that goal already. Most of us stop at the meeting of resistance and if you can overcome that, chances are that you will reach your goal or goals someday. However, it is important to note that achieving what you should have achieved should be done within a stipulated time frame. It is not enough to achieve but to do so when it matters most.
Law 3: Time flies only from the man who fails to trap it:
That is true. A lot of people claim that they don’t have time to achieve their dreams when they are not even working at achieving their dreams during the available time. You cannot achieve anything if you do nothing about something. If you want to get a job, look for one. If you need to increase your sales meet more prospects. If you want to improve your communication skills get some education. Don’t sit down and expect things to fall into place. You need to be deliberate about your intentions. Time flies and it flies so quickly if you don’t get to use it. Wasted hours become wasted days. Wasted days become wasted lives.
Law 4: The abundance of time is relative to the use of time:
The more you use your time appropriately the more you get done eventually. I discovered that as soon as I set to do something about my goals, I tend to have more time to get those things done. It is all about interest. Whatever you are interested in will create its’ time for its achievement. Be interested in your goals. Set out time to work on your dreams and you will be surprised how much time you have for the achievement of your dreams.
It is important to note that time waits for no man. Businesses are closing up because they don’t have time for their customers; relationships are suffering because there is little time to nurture them. While we talk about time in quantity it is also important to talk about the quality of our time too. How do you spend your time and what do you spend your time on? Time is a resource, a limited one at that and must be used to give your dreams visibility. I see you on top of your riches.
Kolawole Kehinde is the Chief Executive Officer at Rose Window Consulting Ltd offering business development support services and management consulting solutions. He currently lives in Abuja and can be reached at kayobami@rosewindowconsulting.com or through 2348055159014 for speaking events, and seminars on personal development, time management and marketing business services in a VUCAD world.
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