You can control your time

Time is within your control.

You’re probably asking, “How can you control time in a 24/7 environment?”

Winners carry this secret with them all the time: Each man is given exactly 24 hours a day, but it’s how time is spent or wasted that spells success, mediocrity or failure.

You can control your time. You choose how to “spend” your time and how much of your time to give to various activities. You’ll never get more time than the 24 hours you’re given each day. But nobody can ever shortchange it but you.

Doesn’t it amaze you that the people who make the worst use of time may be the same ones who complain that there is never enough time.

Sociologists say that the most important currency for the 21st century is time, not money.

Therefore you make sure that you spend your time wisely.

This doesn’t mean you bury yourself in work and fail to maintain some semblance of sanity in our life. This simply means you spend time on things that will help you grow as a person, and you stay away from activities that would hinder you from your success goals.

• When you spend more time watching pirated DVD movies than reading books, you’re wasting your time.

• When you would rather be out with the boys (or the girls) than spend time with your family, you are wasting time.

• When you gulp it down, shoot it up or snort it in, you’re not only wasting your time, you’re wasting your life as well.

Now may I make a suggestion?

Rather than thinking time management all the time, why not start thinking “Task Management?”

Prioritize tasks that add value to your life-success goals. Anything that does not accomplish this, you discard and throw into your waste basket.

Leon Hansen composed this poem entitled, “Take Some Time.”

Read the words carefully:

Take Some Time Leon Hansen

Take some time to smell the flowers as you walk the paths of life.

Take some time to ease the tensions from the challenges and the strife.

Take some time to hear the birds sing as they usher in the dawn.

Though the day be just emerging, too soon it will be gone.

Take some time to watch a sunrise, now and then a sunset too.

Just be sure that seeking pleasure isn’t all you ever do.

Take some time to count your blessings, though you feel they’re not that great.

You will find they’re more abundant than you thought at any rate.

Take some time to banish hatred when and where you can.

Just detest man’s evil ways and not your fellow man.

Take some time to love your children every moment you are free.

The benefits sure exceed a university degree.

Take some time to love your neighbor, and even more important still,

Take some time to love yourself or not many others will.

And if you don’t like that image of yourself that others see,

Take some time to make some changes, be the best that you can be.

Take some time to help another who you think might need a hand.

You will find the satisfaction leaves you feeling sort of grand.

Take some time to live by virtue in the best way that is known,

And respect the rights of others as equal to your own.

Take some time to just appreciate the fact that you are here,

And to know the risen Lord and to trust Him without fear.

If you do these things with diligence, you will eventually be glad.

If you don’t attempt to do them, you may one day wish you had.

Although this no doubt could impose upon your time for seeking wealth,

There should be little question that it could improve your health.

And though you might not be as wealthy, nor drive so fine a car,

You’ll find you will be richer, in other ways by far.

Our time is in God’s Hands, but He has empowered us to use it responsibly.

(Attend Francis Kong’s one-day life changing seminar “SUCCESS THROUGH EXCELLENCE” on August 13, 2010 at the SMX Convention Center. For registration and tickets, call Inspire Leadership Consultancy Inc. at 632-6872614 or 09178511115.) –Francis J. Kong (The Philippine Star)