Don’t let your life be like a leaf drifting in a stream- the progress of the leaf is by chance, not by choice. Take full control and steer it the way you want it.
When I started my career in a large public sector company as a development engineer, my whole life was before me- ready to be moulded the way I wanted, if I wanted. I had a secure job with reasonable salary. I was happy. No ambitions and no goals. I didn’t think of future. Many years slipped by, by the time I realized that I wasted so many years. I wasted some more time regretting about the wasted time.
Time is the most precious commodity. Once lost or improperly spent, you can never get it back.
The lives of many of us are like a leaf drifting in a stream. The leaf is just there by chance, not by choice. The progress of the leaf depends on external factors like water current, wind power and direction or any other disturbances. The leaf itself can’t decide its progress. Its direction and destination are not pre-planned. It may travel for a long time or get stuck somewhere on the way.
Many people live that way- like the leaf. No direction, no destination… Just drift the way life takes them. Even if they have certain goals, they are very broad, not well defined. No schedules either.
Have well defined, measurable, achievable and time bound goals. It is not enough to have well defined goals- you need have self discipline to stick to them. Many disturbances, hurdles and failures can come in your way just like the leaf in the stream along its journey. If you react the wrong way or relax your grip on the goals, you are lost. Don’t lose focus on your life’s goals.
When you get up in the morning, you have the most precious gift of nature in front of you- a new day. It is up to you how you use it. Spend it properly and achieve something to be proud of, because, by tomorrow it is gone.
Each and every single day is part of your life. Each day shapes up your life. You may come across certain emergencies, fire fighting situation and sundry jobs. Try to avoid them without creating much resentment. Use your delegating skills if you can’t avoid them. But, don’t lose focus in spite of all such distractions.
I want to stress again- time is the most precious commodity. Once lost, you can never get it back. Use it only for your life’s priorities. If you use it properly, you will not have a past to regret in future.
“Take care of the minutes and the hours will take care of themselves”.-Lord Chesterfield.
Once the hours are taken care of, the days, months and years are taken care of automatically and so your life.
Lack of guidance is one of the main reasons for not realizing the value of time. But in this age of internet and information resource boom, you are very well off as far as knowledge is concerned. Information is plenty in the form of self help books, websites and online training for your self improvement and personal development. Still if you have access to proper mentor or guru, you are fortunate. Don’t lose such opportunity.