Time Archives - Page 5 of 8 - Scott's Thinking

Quality Time Defined

Posted on August 8, 2021

Is quality time what you want or what they want? If one of you isn’t delighted, is it still quality time? It’s time to have quality time defined.

Deciding you are going for a walk with a friend, who doesn’t enjoy walking, might not be the best idea of quality time. Do you both have to enjoy the activity, discussion or company? Or is it ok if just one of you do?

When you spend some of your day with your young child, is it enough to just enjoy being together? Or do you need to enjoy the event too? Is it quality time either way?

Encouraging your child to try something with you might seem like a good idea. You will be expanding their horizons and possibly adding a new, burgeoning skill to their repertoire. This is brilliant if they thoroughly enjoyed it. However, if they were not very interested or engaged, is it still quality time?

Is a shared memory considered quality time, even if it is not a brilliant or positive one? Perhaps they learned a lesson, or you did. If it came from a difficult experience, but something good came from it, does it fit the description?

In summary, life will be different for you with quality time defined.

Action Time

The Right Time Is Now

Posted on May 7, 2021

You’ve been holding back on something. You want to move forward but the timing doesn’t feel right. Well, the right time is now.

The lights may never be green at every intersection from here to your destination. You may have to slow down or stop once in a while. But another green light will appear and you will be able to continue on your way.

However, getting off your bottom, getting in the correct attire and getting in your car is the start of the journey. You can’t be part done until you start. And yes, you may not have all the information you think you need. Few people ever do. Perhaps you’ve waited too long if that is the case.

Make those phone calls and speak to the people you need to. Read what is critical and do what is required, but at least get going. 90% of life is just showing up. If you show up, they may pick you. If you are the only one there at the right time, you may be in luck.

And you never know what the right moment will be, so you best keep showing up. This reminds me of a time I was walking down a street in Sydney, Australia. A police officer stopped me and asked if I could join a police lineup. But that is another story…

The right time is now. Get out there.

Action Time

Allocating Time

Posted on April 25, 2021

Time is amazing and challenging. There are so many interesting things to do and yet not enough minutes to do them all. Allocating time is the ultimate challenge in life.

Reconsider how you parcel out your time. Is it hyper-methodical? Or is it free flowing? Perhaps you are generally somewhere in between but vacillate from one end of the continuum to the other.

There is an amount of time for work matters, family, play, friends, sleep, eating and relaxing. How much to apportion to each area on any given day is the challenge.

I try to get my work done while the kids are at school or out with friends. Sometimes you radically change the allocation by choice, such as for a holiday. At other times, the change may happen to you. This could be the case if you come down with an illness or if someone close to you is unwell.

The other challenge is that it is hard to tell ahead of time, which combination is the best one. Working 100 hours a week can take its toll on your health and relationships. Of course, even working 60 hours a week can have an adverse effect on many things.

So it may be quite helpful doing a monthly review of how you are allocating time.

Action Observe Time

Just In Time Solutions

Posted on April 18, 2021

Why do we wait until the last minute to complete things? If we know three months in advance, why wait until there are 3 days to go? Just in time solutions are fine for supply chains. However, they are not ideal for getting items off your to do list.

When assignments at work, at school, accounting, tax or financial matters often seem to be done at the last minute and not weeks in advance.

My ideal situation for these things is to do the work when it is available to be done. This means when the assignment is handed to you, get going on it. It does not mean throw it on top of a pile of papers or in a drawer and forget about it. Receiving multiple red font alert-type letters is not a sign of a well organised operation.

I understand it can be challenging. I know other things come up and take your focus away. And it can be difficult to juggle many balls at once. However, start making it a habit to deal with things as they come up. Make plans and put the time required in your diary.

Just in time solutions can work but ahead of time is usually even better.

Financial Gratitude Progress Think About It Time

How Do You Give Back?

Posted on January 26, 2021

Do you do something for charity, your community, people coming up behind you? It’s good to reflect on this. How do you give back?

I am trying to add more of this into my days. I do it sporadically and I would like to do it in a more structured way. It starts with giving my time to people who are building their careers or businesses. Then, Money for charitable causes and effort for good causes.

Getting clear on how to apportion time and money, and setting those aside for good causes, is a useful exercise. It makes you stop and think about what you do now, what might be good and even how it makes you feel. Should you set aside more time and money? To whom and how should that be done?

Some people are very good with structuring their thoughts around this. I’ve known people to set aside x amount of money and y amount of time. Then they gift that away through the year. Other people simply donate a lump sum and that’s that. All requests after that are denied.

Some people will give money freely but not their time. While others do the opposite. There are those that give 1% of their income while others give away most or all of it, like the incredible Chuck Feeney.

How do you give back?

Financial Observe Time

Save Time Or The Environment

Posted on January 4, 2021

When you have a hole in your clothes or a button pops off, do you mend it, have it mended, recycle it or bin it? Do you save time or the environment?

We have a skateboard which has stiff wheels. Maybe the ball bearings need replacing. Or maybe it is the wheels. More lubricant does not seem to do the trick. The options are to get rid of the skateboard and buy a new one for £30, or keep it and try to fix it.

If we keep it and fix it, we need to spend time on finding and ordering new parts. Then we need to go collect the parts or have them delivered. Once we have them, we need to get tools out and spend time replacing the parts. Hopefully that solves the problem.

The parts might cost £10 and then there is delivery or pick up costs, such as petrol. Then it depends on what you consider your time is worth. You may see it as a monetary value per hour or simply the value of having an hour of time to yourself in a busy week. Either way, there is a cost to you.

So whether it is mending a shirt or a skateboard, we all make these assessments about our time, money and the environment.

Do you save time or the environment?

Gratitude Reframe your thoughts Time

Don’t Wish It Away

Posted on December 23, 2020

Sure things could be different. Maybe they could be better too. Though maybe this is better than the alternative. Don’t wish it away in any case.

Who knows what tomorrow brings. The grass is always greener. So don’t throw away today to gamble on tomorrow being better for you in the way that you want. It might happen. But what are the odds? How many of the last 7,000 or 14,000 days have turned out precisely as you had hoped and dreamed?

Together, all of those days make up the great tapestry of your life. Ups and downs, triumphs and tribulations, challenges and celebrations. Sing when you’re winning. But don’t pout when you‘re down and out.

”Don’t wish it away, Don’t look at it like it’s forever”
Elton John

One of my favourite songs is this Elton John classic. I’ve enjoyed it throughout my life. Those first two lines are so catchy and are appropriate at so many times. It can slap you awake and out of complacency. Those words remind me that life is short. You’ve got to, “live every second, without hesitation”.

You learn in the tough times. Don’t miss the lessons that are there for the taking.

Sometimes you have to live like there’s no tomorrow. Because one day there won’t be one.

Don’t wish it away.

Gratitude Time

Today Is A Brilliant Day!

Posted on November 23, 2020

If you have the ability, education, means and time to read this blog, you are doing well. In that case, today is a brilliant day!

Everyday is a fresh new day. It is full of possibility and hope. Sure there will be the issues you have to deal with, but those are usually temporary. They may feel heavy and annoying or unbearable at the time. However, time is a great healer and with time pain can fade, whether it is emotional or physical pain.

Today is the only thing we know we have for sure. As long as it is happening, we need to make the absolute best of it we can. If we feel sluggish, we need to kick ourselves in the pants. If we feel tired, we can run on the spot or do some press ups to get ourselves going again.

The sights, the smells, the sounds, the tastes, touches and feelings bring this magical world to life. Breathe it in and experience it anew and to the full every single day.

A powerful song from the 80’s, Up Where We Belong (Cocker and Warnes), had some fitting lyrics. “Who knows what tomorrow brings”. And also, ‘All we have, is here and now. All our life, out there to find’.

Enjoy every moment.

Today is a brilliant day!

Action Financial Gratitude Health & Fitness Observe Reframe your thoughts Think About It Time

Looking Back At 80

Posted on October 19, 2020

How will you look back on your life? What will be in it? What will have been worth the price you paid? Looking back at 80 is an important exercise to do many times when you are younger.

Imagine you are 80 years old. Can you look back over the span of 80 years and be filled with joy and contentment? There are a lot of tough questions in there. You will have to face your expectations versus reality gap and hope there is positive gap (reality ended up better) rather than a negative one.

It raises some helpful thoughts that should be considered throughout our lives. You might ask yourself the following questions. Am I living a good life? Should I spend more time and energy on family, career, finances, mental health, physical fitness or my community? How can I do more for others or myself? What will I accept or be happy with?

Its going to be harder to achieve anything once you reach your 80’s. There are many that keep going like Warren Buffett. However, you’ll have to have good genes, stay healthy and have a little luck on your side.

You may wish you had worked harder, studied more, saved more money or maintained better fitness. There is still time to change the outcome but you’ll have to put the effort in.

Looking back at 80 should be a delightful experience.

Action Time

The Best Time Is Now

Posted on October 17, 2020

If it is important, do it now. Make the phone call. Write the letter. Speak with your spouse. Attend your child’s play. The best time is now because we do not know if we will ever have another opportunity like this.

From my experience, you never really get a second chance at the same thing. If you are uncertain, you can pause, reflect or gather additional information. However, if you feel it in you that you should be doing something, do not wait.

S/He who hesitates is lost. The origin of this truism is often traced back to the Joseph Addison play Cato from 1712. I used to think it only meant that you lose if you hesitate. For example, when the goal is near and you have the ball ready but you don’t take the shot. In that case you might lose the match or simply lose that opportunity.

As I reflect on it more though, I see it could also refer to losing confidence due to doubt. If you were thinking of calling someone to go on a date and you hesitate, doubt will begin to creep in. You might lose confidence and push back the phone call even further. You may become lost in your thoughts, mind, doubts and uncertainty.

Life is short. Act fast.

The best time is now.