Is time an enemy?

Many view time as an enemy. The anxiety to win this race against time, the fear if it can't be completed on time and the anger when it isn't finished in time - All these have contributed to the enmity against time. But we also know that if we don't hold onto time, we won't be successful in life.

Then how do we manage time? First, let us understand ourselves. There are in-time people and through-time people. (Both of them find the other one a headache until they understand each other).

Through time people plan every day and every minute of their life and also how they want their life to move forward. They are punctual as well as finish their tasks on time. They think logically and look into their past and future to plan accordingly. It agitates them when things don't go as they planned or if unseen obstacles turn up. They forget to enjoy life as they try to live every moment effectively. Hence, anxiety is their constant companion. If you are one of them, spare one hour a day and one day a week by not scheduling anything beforehand. Do whatever you feel like doing right at that moment. It can be going out for a walk, talking with your life partner, playing with the kids, calling your friends, visiting your neighbors or you can just sit, doing nothing, enjoying your surrounding with a grateful heart. If you feel guilty for spending your time like this, just ask yourself if you can't take a break to enjoy life, in between doing one task after another like the genie who was released from the bottle, then WHY are you living?

Now, the second fellows, the in-time people. Without any plans, they just go along with with flow of life, not aware of how time passes. Even if they schedule something, it would be really difficult to follow it. Most of the tasks would be pushed off till the last minute and some never gets to be ticked off from the list. They forget about the consequences that had happened in the past when they have failed to finish on time, and aren't really good at looking at how life might unfold if they stick onto this behaviour. If you are one of them, then find an hour in a day without any distractions. Focus completely on the task to be completed as per priority, for 50 minutes. Then you may take a 10 minute break as a reward for yourself. Once you have been able to make this a part of life, you can increase it upto 4 hours, need not be consecutive. Thus, you can finish tasks to be done.

Some part of your time should be allotted and used efficiently to complete tasks on time. While, one also has to set some time aside to pause and enjoy life. We should be able to find a balance between these. Thus, we can move forward in life 'with time'.