27: Appreciating Time (Part 2)
Time Management is Life Management
Value your free time before you are too occupied
[Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)]
Since we are born in time, live in time and die in time (Qur'an 64:11); time is the ambit within which we operate (Qur'an 103). What we do with time is what we do with our lives (Qur'an 67:2). A key component to successful living, therefore, is the proper use of time and we need to realize that time management is indeed life management. Success comes not from working harder, but working more effectively.
Live in the Present
We can learn from the past and appreciate the memories; we can look to the future and set our goals; however, note that ...
- the more we remind ourselves of the responsibility of the present the better we get at living the moment.
- the better we live the present moment the better the consequence for the future (Qur'an 59:18).
- too many spend so much time dwelling in the past or on the future that no real attention is paid to the present. The present is all we really have; it is the most valuable gift, perhaps that is why it is called "present".
Making the Best of the Present
In order to deal effectively with the present one must have the courage to stare reality in the face and honestly deal with the following ...
- Identify your goals, principles, strengths and weaknesses
- Are your present actions in keeping with your values?
- Set realistic goals ...
- What do I want to do?
- Why do I want to do it?
- When do I want to have it accomplished?
- Prioritize and use time wisely
So, part of our daily muhaasabah (critical self-evaluation) should be the assessment of what we are aiming for in life, why we are aiming for it and how we are moving towards it.
Avoid Procrastination by Determination to Act
If procrastination is delaying the doing of what needs to be done then overcoming procrastination is to
avoid the delaying of that which needs to be done. Responsibility, willingness and determination to do something
yourself are essential elements in overcoming procrastination.
Remember ...
- The pertinent question of tomorrow is what have I done with my yesterdays? (Q 59:18)
- Greek philosopher, Theophrastus, said that "time is the most valuable thing a man can spend". Time is so valuable that it is considered "the only capital that any human being really has, and the only thing he can't afford to lose." [Inventor,Thomas Edison] An American Poet reminds us that time is the currency of your life. "It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let others spend it for you". [Carl Sandburg]
- Though we can not do everything at once we can do something immediately. "If you can't feed a hundred people then at least feed one." [Mother Theresa]
- Be active effectively. "Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph." [Haile Selassie of Ethiopia]
- An essential ingredient for a meaningful life comes from concentrating more about what needs to be done than bothering about who gets the credit. Successful people clearly know what they want and they think about how to get it. In contrast, "unsuccessful people tend to think and talk about what they don't want most of the time. They think about who they are mad at and who is to blame for their problems."
- Keep the NASA slogan in mind:
"Do it,
Do it right,
Do it right now."
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Though time flies, you are the pilot of your life.
"O Allah, make life a means for every dimension of increased goodness"
[Prayer of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)]