By: John C. Maxwell
Philippine Daily Inquirer
9:54 pm | Saturday, November 5th, 2011
The phrase “spending time” isn’t a metaphor. Each of us is allotted
24 hours per day, which we have no choice but to expend. We can neither
stockpile time, nor buy back hours already spent. In his book, What To
Do Between Birth and Death, author Charles Spezzano offers the following
observation about time:
You don’t really pay for things with money. You pay for them with
time. ‘In five years, I’ll have put enough away to buy that vacation
house we want. Then I’ll slow down.’ That means the house will cost you
five years – 1/12 of your adult life. Translate the dollar value of the
house, car or anything else into time, and then see if it’s still worth
it. Sometimes you can’t do what you want and have what you want at once
because each requires a different expenditure of time.
We construct our lives
on the basis of how we invest time. Thus, the question, “Am I living
wisely?” can be answered by looking at how we consume the minutes in our
day. With regards to time, wisdom, as in many other arenas, comes by
moderating between extremes.
1) Between unthinking and overthinking
Important decisions deserve time spent in research
and deliberation. However, as Eva Young said, “To think too long about
doing a thing often becomes its undoing.” Eventually, we must exercise
judgment and take action despite uncertainty and incomplete
information. Leaders must avoid the extreme of paralysis-by-analysis.
Yet, leaders must also avoid the opposite extreme of thoughtless
action. In the words of Henry David Thoreau, “It’s not enough to be
busy, so are the ants. The question is, “What are we busy about?” In
spending time unreflectively, our lives veer off course, taking us away from our deepest values.
2) Between idleness and hyperactivity
In the writings of America’s founders, particularly those of Benjamin
Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, exhortations abound to make the most of
time. As Jefferson wrote, “Determine never to be idle. No person will
have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is
wonderful how much can be done if we are always doing.”
Such sayings
weren’t empty slogans for these men. By stewarding their time
effectively, Franklin and Jefferson were able to make an astonishing
number of influential contributions to society—as writers, politicians,
and inventors.
The motivational mantra, “carpe diem” or “seize the day,” has merit
but can be carried to an unhealthy extreme. For example, American
workers chose not to use $67 billion worth of vacation time in 2010!
Meanwhile, most people know a spouse, colleague, or friend burdened down
by job-related
stress. The attempt to maximize every single moment of the day can
degenerate into a life-sucking obsession. A relentless quest for
optimization and efficiency kills spontaneity and serves as a recipe for
burnout. To be suitable and sustainable, a person’s drive to succeed must recognize boundaries and be balanced by periods of rest and relaxation.
3) Between tasks and relationships
Balancing time spent on tasks and time spent with people can be
tricky. In general, we tend to overemphasize tasks at the expense of
relationships. Early in life, we chase after career accomplishments only
later to realize that life’s greatest treasures are our loved ones.
Yet great leaders, while prizing people, also get things done.
Job-related relationships have the purpose of accomplishing something:
leaders don’t connect merely for the sake of connection. One rule of
thumb for valuing relationships while achieving results is to spend your
greatest amount of time with the smallest number of people. Guard
against spreading yourself thin with superficial social acquaintances,
and instead choose to cultivate trust and influence in the few
relationships that matter most to you.
Reprinted with permission from The John Maxwell Company and Inspire
Leadership Consultancy. Attend Our First Customer Service Innovation
Learning Event with Francis Kong and Customer-Service Guru Merryl Yu.
Nov. 9, 2011 at The Crowne Plaza Hotel. Call 687-2614/706-4853 to
register. Visit us at www.inspireleaders.com.ph or add us on
Facebook-Inspire Leadership Consultancy
http://bit.ly/rSZmt6
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