TR EMERITUS

By James Oh, Lifestyle Correspondent

In today’s rapidly changing world, it is a phenomena for almost everyone, if not everyone, to give excuse for not having enough time to do what they want. The reason we don’t recognize it as problematic is because we often think it is unchangeable or we take it for granted like the frog which does not jump out of the pot even though the heat is increasing.  We’re just get used to it. Let us be honest about it. Is it a real issue or are we not efficient? Worse still, are we blaming time to cover up our own weaknesses? Whatsoever the real reason is, it will never go away if we leave it unattempted.

However, God is fair and allocates 24 hours a day to each and everyone of us. If you have insufficient time , you need to review your situation seriously and take appropriate action to overcome it before it gets worse. To achieve this, you need to find better, efficient and more effective means  to perform  your daily tasks. If not, these tasks will pile up and you will it find more and more stressful as your Do Lists gets longer. I am sure no one wants to be caught in such a situation because we have enough stress. Do not forget that fatigue and stress are the biggest hazards of modern life, as they may lead to heart attack.

In this connection, I want to share some of the tips, from my own personal experience, which I find useful and I hope they will be useful  also to you. To simplify, I have listed  them in point form, as below:-

1. System
Try to establish an orderly system, which is work friendly and easy for you to retrieve your information speedily. No doubt there is more work initially, but it pays handsomely at the later stage. Try it out and you will be surprised at the outcome.

Do take note that your energy has an inverse relationship to the accumulation of stuff you do not need. The more unwanted, unused and unneeded stuff you have cluttering your life, the less energy you will have. Believe it or not the condition of your desk; office and living space will reflect  what is going on in your mind. If you take time to organize it , you will actually be freeing up a lot of  space in your mind, hence increasing your energy. .

2. Be precise
Make it a point to make your statement precise. I realize that it is not easy, therefore we need to improve the skill constantly. Most of the time, I find that lots of time are wasted as a result of not sending the message precisely.

3. Making use of the most effective mode of communication
Try to make it a habit to use the most effective mode of communication such as email especially if you have to send the same message to many people.. You will be surprised at its outcome as compared to other verbal means .

4. Do Lists
Make it a point to record down the tasks you need to perform. Then schedule them according to their  priority. In this manner, you  tend to be more efficient and effective.

5. Make use of your idling time
God is fair and has  given everyone 24 hours. Don’t forget that everyone of us have idle time. Schedule creative work at these hours.

6. Do more than one thing at a time
You can do more than one thing at a time that is you can multi-task. The best example is that you can brush your teeth while making a long call at your toilet bowl.

7. Plan your daily tasks in advance
Lots of time can be  saved if there are proper planning so that the tasks can be carried in the most efficient way.

8. Do not quit
Most of the time, we are defeated because we have given up. As such, we need to have faith in whatever we are doing and also to constantly reminding ourselves that we can do it.

9. Patience
You need to have patience.  When we faced problems then  only can we learnt to be patient. 10. Leave it and come back to it later
Leave it for a while and do something else. Then you may have  inspiration to resume your work with new and fresh idea/interest.

11 Do not push yourself unnecessary
Deadline is good, but you need to follow your heart so as to produce a masterpiece.  Be flexible is the key.

12. Do not be too anxious
Do not worry unnecessary, but respond to it. By reacting to it, you will make the thing worse and eventually you  may need to spend more time to rectify it. Here, you may use the 90/10 rule.

13. Think positive
When you think positive, everything will turn out more rosy and pleasant. You \will rest assure  that you will  have much higher productivity. If your health and attitude and body and mind are all aligned in the right way, there’s nothing else for you to do but to feel energized. It’s the natural “side-effect” of a healthy life– it just comes with the territory.

14. Work in groups
It is undeniable that everyone of us has his own talent and skill. By using the strength of each and every member of the group, it will yield more.

15. Find your own work rhythm.
A lot of creative work can be done at odd times and places. So, schedule your work accordingly to your own work rhythm

The great Canadian physician Sir William Osler; a teacher, medical writer and medical practitioner, set aside only 15 minutes every night to compile an annotated bibliography of his huge library. His ambitious Bibliotheca Osleriana contained 7787 entries when he died.

The above example is a good illustration that when our “qi” (energy) is at optimal levels and flowing smoothly, we’re ready to take on the world- spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically

16. Always look out for more efficient and effective way of doing things
Constantly keep your mind open especially when you are doing certain activities which involves lots of repetition . In such instance, keep on asking yourself is there any other way to get the thing done  more efficiently and effectively.

I would love to hear your comments (both good and bad).  If you have any feedback after reading the article, please forward them either through comment or email them to: [email protected].

In addition, I would love to hear any other tips from your own personal experience you’d like to share.

Wishing you health and happiness,

James Oh

Other articles by James Oh:

>> How to retire gracefully

>> Steps to overcome major obstacles of staying healthy (Part 2)

About the Author:

James Oh is an accountant by profession and he works as a Financial Controller for more than 10 years with several companies in Singapore and Malaysia. He is a full member of the Singapore Institute of Director and he also obtained a LLB (Law degree) from the University of London in 2003. He is happily married with 3 loving kids.

James blog at http://liftyouup.blogspot.com

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