Time Management for Today's Times*Dr. Jane Nannono

Most of us have come across the scripture in the Book of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8  that references “There is a Time For Everything.” To me it is a constant reminder that life is short; that I have to do the best I can while I am still alive.

Each of us has only 24 hours in a day and the most productive and successful people among us are those who have mastered the craft of using these 24 hours efficiently and effectively.

Time management matters. Particularly in the age of a global pandemic, where there is so much uncertainty. Where there is so much at stake.

Time management is about valuing your time and allocating enough time to work to achieve your day’s goals while leaving yourself some time to play and be with your family.

The old adage : "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" still prevails. I always like to add that : All play and no work makes Jack as poor as a church mouse.

THE SCIENCE OF TIME…HERE'S THE "4-1-1"

Our bodies have an internal clock known as the Circadian Rhythm- the Sleep –Wake cycle controlled by the master clock in our brains. This master clock is directly influenced by the environment cues of daylight and night time.

During the day, the light stimulates the master clock to send signals to the body systems to stay alert, awake and active. This enables the body to perform at its best during the day.

At night, the darkness stimulates the master clock to initiate the production of Melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep, and keeps transmitting signals that help us to stay asleep throughout the night.

Our bodies need this  period  of 6-8 hours of sleep to repair and restore themselves and to boost our immune systems to fight off inflammation and infections and cancer cells. Adequate , regular sleep prepares our bodies  for the increased daytime activities.

 Inadequate sleep of less than 6 hours during the night, causes sleeping problems and a poor- functioning  Immune system.

TIME AND PURPOSE...CONNECTING THE DOTS

Each one of us has a unique purpose and meaning for her/his life - one’s deep story. The formal education we undertake, enables us to identify and to act out our deep stories later in life as writers, teachers ,doctors…… We live our own deep story day-to-day ; struggling to fulfill our potential in every area of our lives- personal, spiritual as well as professional.

This can only be done in the 16 hours we are awake each day. This explains  why time management  is considered as one of the four pillars of productivity.

For over eight years I have been a faithful student and follower of Michael Hyatt, an American author, podcaster, blogger and virtual coach. He focuses on leadership, productivity and goal setting in life.

This is what he has to say about how to plan and use your time effectively and efficiently:

1. Rest--Start with enough rest at night- 7-8 hours.

2. Prioritize--Decide what is most important in your life and do it first. Invest 80% of your time on the 20% most important things to you. Do it day by day, week by week for 52 weeks. Then the “urgent” does not crowd out the most important and it reduces procrastination.

3. Batch your work--line up related tasks and do them at once.

4. Tame your Technology--technology improves our ability to get things done but set limits to its use when doing important things.

5. Drop Drudgery--outsource what you do not enjoy doing. It leaves you free to do what you love.

ON A FINAL NOTE 

I grew up with a father who valued time and “Punctuality” became his middle name. My siblings and I are good at managing time. It creates order in one’s life.Sadly I came back to a country that has lost the sense of time. The tangled Traffic jams in the city compound the problem as well as the frequent heavy rains.

But my father would remind all of us to start the journey early enough to be on time  and my devoted teachers would instruct us to carry an umbrella and a rain coat at work and at home.

I myself would share this Japanese quote with you : "If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is."

Readers, how are you managing time differently these days? In which areas do you struggle?

BIO:

Jane Nannono  is a Ugandan medical doctor who has lived and worked both in Uganda and Botswana. She is a mother of two adorable sons and one daughter. She is a grandmother and a guardian of two of her nieces.

Dr. Nannono has been an avid reader since early childhood and this is what led her into writing; as her way of paying back to the literary world which gave her so much knowledge and fun and even turned her into a global citizen long before the invention of the Internet. Since 2012, she has been busy trying to turn herself into a remarkable writer of fiction short stories and novels. Her first fiction novel, The Last Lifeline was published in 2015 and she self-published her second novel , And The Lights Came On in 2016.Both eBooks are available on her Author page here: https://www.amazon.com/Jane-Nannono/e/B011D2YMDO

Since October 2016, she has been running a blog for personal development; using her wealth of knowledge, skills and experiences to impact other people’s lives positively. This helps her to hone her writing skills and to promote her Creative writing works.You can learn more at her site: https://www.apagefrommunakusbook834350529.blog.

She will continue to read and write for as long as she can.

Image credits: Pixabay.com