The Motivation Manual – Ayoola Oshiyemi
Time is a limited resource, yet a resource which many take for granted. “Oh, I’ve got prep, I’ll do it later.” No! This is the wrong approach to our daily routine which many are guilty of taking. We as young individuals need to realise that time isn’t going to work around you, but you need to work around time. We don’t get time back, so it is vital that we spend each second right. Once you have used up time, it will never come back again. We need to focus our time on being hard working and persevering but also refuelling and refreshing our minds in order to give us the tenacity to endure the hurdles and challenges which life may throw at us. It is very important that we get that balance right so we are not burning ourselves out, but at the same time, we are using our time productively to make sure that we are maximising our chance of having a prosperous future.
As Steve Jobs said, “Your time is limited don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” LIVE YOUR LIFE. Don’t let others dictate or manipulate the way in which you choose to spend your life. If you are confident in yourself, your aspirations and what YOU want to achieve who can hold you back? Unless you want to by doing the wrong things, hanging around with people who have a negative impact on your life or letting the negativity and thoughts of darkness overcloud your vision of success. Don’t be the one who gets in between you and achieving your dreams! You are better than you ever thought you were and stronger than you have ever imagined, when you know what you want and you are prepared to fight to make your vision of success a reality, time is not visualised as a barrier but as a way of maximising your productivity in life.
Anything is possible, no matter how difficult or challenging your goal may be if you really want to achieve it then nothing can stand in your way. Use you time and do not waste it. This conceptualisation of wasted time is often misused. For example: your goal is to get at least 90% in your maths exam so you do a lot of revision in preparation for that exam, however when it gets to the exam, you fall under pressure and when you get your results back, you get a score which you are disappointed with. You criticise yourself and think that all that time has been wasted, but you haven’t. This may seem like failure, however, if you let that one failure consume your positivity then you will never reach success, all the time that you spent wasn’t wasted but enables you to say to yourself: “I did all that I could have done, therefore I have used my time well, maybe next time I need to think of a more effective way of revising.” The greatest things in life require time, thought, but also dedication and perseverance which also means retracing your steps and looking for ways of improvement. There will always be setbacks, you have to fight for your dreams, if you fall you just have to pick yourself up again and keep trying. The most successful achievements in life are not done in the blink of an eye but take hard work, sweat and lots of time.
An instance of where this ideology is used effectively is a famous businessman and inventor, commonly known for his role in the global success of Apple Computers and modernised technology, Steve Jobs. This success wasn’t simple and didn’t happen immediately, it took thought, courage, faith, perseverance and time. People like Steve Jobs inspire me because even when failure seems so close ,the courage to keep going makes the thought of success even closer. When we believe in ourselves and believe in what we are doing, no matter how long it takes and what barriers may come in our way, nothing is impossible.
Time is a precious aspect of life which should be spent well, doing things that you love and using it in order to accomplish life goals. Although this is good, the way we manage our time is also important. We need to make sure we are prioritising, doing what MUST be done first before doing what we would rather do. Do not procrastinate, but get into the habit of getting what must be done out of the way. Procrastination is the act of lying to yourself, trying to convince yourself that there will always be a later, it is a bad habit. Like Christopher Parker said, “It’s like a credit card, it’s a lot of fun until you get the bill.” 20% of the population identify themselves to be a chronic procrastinator. It prevents people from getting their priorities straight and like Edward Young said: “Procrastination is the thief of time.” It is a habit which once started is hard to get out of. Everyone gets distracted from time to time, but we do still need to understand that time is ALWAYS moving, it isn’t going to stop when you want it to.
Great ways to avoid procrastination include….
to write down what you need to do on a piece of paper or you can break down your task into smaller segments to make it more approachable to tackle; or you can try encouraging yourself by giving yourself reasonable rewards once you have completed a particular task or accomplished something or you need.
Eliminate you distractions and temptations by putting them into a different room or locking them away in a place where it is out of reach while you are doing your task.
Just try any of these methods or any method which will stop you from procrastinating. It is vital that we get into the habit of doing what must be done, and prioritising what we want so we can live a balanced, healthy and prosperous life. Like Cheryl Richardson said, “Time is a gift that most of us take for granted.” Remember to use every second right! Time is a limited resource, which is always moving so make the most of it.
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