Making The Most Of The Moments

Have you ever wanted to write a book, but could never find the
time to get started? Or study a course, but never managed to sit
down to do it?

Our lives are frantic. There’s less time available to do an ever
greater number of critical tasks. So how do we ever get around
to do what we thirst to achieve in life?

Well, one way is to make the most of the moments you DO have. By
this, I mean those scraps of time that we esteem so little and
throw away without a second thought. Rather than try to block
out large amounts of time for your dream project, and never
actually getting around to doing it, you can make use of the
scraps that crop up here, there, and everywhere.

Here’s the truth of the matter. Even a few minutes here or there
adds up to a LOT of time. If you don’t believe it, here are some
examples…

If you spend just a total of 90 minutes a day commuting to and
from work, that adds up to 21,600 minutes (allowing for four
weeks holiday), which is 360 hours, or 15 DAYS of 24 hours!

Now, just imagine how much you could learn if you did nothing but
study a subject day and night for 15 days! Or, if you want to be
easier on yourself, those 21,600 minutes work out to 45 days,
working the hours from 9 to 5.

What could you do with all that time? How many books could you
read? How many audio courses could you listen to? Your journey to
and from work could be used like a sort of mobile university, IF
you have the mind to do it.

This is why it is sheer folly to either (a) be doing nothing on
your commute to work, (b) be listening to your car radio, (c) be
just reading the newspaper.

Sure. You can just flake out and do some of those time-wasting
activities every now and again. However, just imagine what you
could feed your mind with if you set about it. Personally
speaking, when I was doing a daily commute, I would always take
books or audio courses with me.

What if you would like to write a book? Well, if you take the
train to work, why not spend that time working on it? A journey
of a thousand miles begins with just one step. There is at least
one famous novelist who began by scraping the time from
daily commute to work.

A number of successful writers have launched their careers in
this manner; scribbling down their novel or screenplay during 15
minute scraps of time whenever they cropped up.

Time is a precious commodity, and you need to use it wisely.

For instance, you can often do two things at the same time. If
you have to do some boring administrative task, e.g. a visit to
the post office or some other place where you know you might have
to hang about (a doctor’s waiting room is another example), why
not prepare for it? Why not take a book or audio course with you?

Ask yourself this question. How much unproductive time do you
spend standing in queues in post offices, government
administrative offices, and so on? If you are like most people,
the answer is, a LOT! Why not plan for these occasions by always
carrying something to learn and engage your mind with?

It’s how you used your unplanned time that can make the critical
difference in your life. We all have unplanned time. So why not
plan to use it from now on?

For instance, when I take my car to the mechanic, I often end up
hanging around the place for over an hour. It’s a major drag, and
I sincerely wish that I could find someone to pay to do it for
me. However, I have come to terms with the problem by always
taking a book to study. That way, no matter how long it takes
them to get around to me, my time was not wasted. I don’t have to
just stare at piles of tires and wrecked cars.

Here’s another statistic to ponder. If you spend just two hours a
day watching TV (and most people watch more), that adds up to 720
hours a year, which is 30 solid 24-hour DAYS. Yes, really. And
that’s just in ONE year. Over a ten year period, you have been
watching TV for the equivalent of 10 MONTHS, non-stop!

That is why some of the most successful business people do
not have a TV in their house. It’s a telling statistic that
satellite TV is mostly found NOT in the most affluent homes, but
in the least affluent. Financially successful people have better
things to do than spend their spare time watching TV. For them,
“time is money”. However, people who DO have lots of time to
waste in front of their TV don’t, as a rule, become very
successful at anything.

This is not an argument against TV. However, it is an argument in
favor of counting the time you spend, and where you spend it. Try
to cut back on time-wasting activities, and focus more hours on
doing things that take you forward towards your dreams and goals.

You can become more aware of how you spend/waste your time by
keeping a daily log for a week. Simply record every quarter hour
on paper, like a calendar,and then record next to each time slot
exactly what you did during that period.

The results will surprise and shock you. You will probably stop
making the excuse that you “have no time” for this goal or that
dream.

The fact is that you can MAKE the time for what you want, IF you
really want it badly enough. But do you?…

In summary, time is THE most important commodity we possess. It’s
more important than money, although few people see it that way.
Learn to respect it and use it wisely. Learn to squeeze more
productivity out of each minute, simple by being ingenious and
wise in your use of it.

You can waste your time, through lack of awareness, and wonder
where it all went. Or you can use it wisely. Remember that the
richest and the poorest man in the world both have the same
number of hours in the day. It’s how you use those hours that
makes all the difference.

Copyright Asoka Selvarajah 2005. All Rights Reserved.
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Asoka Selvarajah is a writer on personal growth and spirituality, and the author of “The 7 Golden Secrets To Knowing Your Higher Self”. His work helps people achieve their full potential, deepen their understanding of mystical truth, and discover their soul’s purpose. You can subscribe to his FREE ezine, and get his FREE ebook “Inner Light Outer Wealth” at:
http://www.aksworld.com/AspireToWisdom.htm?imk=Blog _______________________________________________________________

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Making The Most Of The Moments
Making The Most Of The Moments