Maybe the most asked question I get is "how do you find time for ....?" Well, sometimes I don't, but mostly whenever I can I fit it in. Providing it is either work related or fits into my master plan for how I devote my free time. A few year's ago I found myself overwhelmed by the numbers of things I was involved with. I found myself saying yes too often, and hadn't learned when to say no. It was then I created a sort of a master plan for sorting my commitments. The master plan is simple.
"I will devote my time to projects that provide opportunities for young people (roughly age 16-21) to live their dreams out loud."
I truly believe the hardest part of any one's life is in this age group. In particular, I believe young men and women face more changes at the age of 18 and 19 than at any other period. Of course there are many exceptions. But this is my basic belief. Maybe it was because it was such a hard period for me. Graduating high school and the safety net of friends and teachers into the real world was a rocky period. I believed life as I knew it was over when I graduated. And I stressed endlessly about it.
When I arrived at the University of Illinois the stress continued. In the mid seventies it was legal for an 18 year old to drink, and I took advantage of the law! And there were drugs, sex and about every distraction I could find all around me. I made a lot of bad choices in that time, digging a deeper hole seemingly impossible to dig out of.
Fortunately I met some great people as well. People who would challenge me and shape me more than anyone else in my life. These folks have remained close friends ever since and continue to impact my life. I want to be one of those "people" whenever I can.
So back to the premise of this post...."how do I find time...?"
If my math is correct there are 168 hours in a week. When I'm really busy I devote about 48 hours to sleeping. That leaves about 120 hours give or take a few. I spend in the neighborhood of 60 hours a week working, although I multi task with the best of them at work. Still that leaves 60 hours unclaimed. I think the difference between productive people and "very productive" people is how they divide the extra 60 hours a week. For me I spend maybe 7 hours a week walking and playing with my dog. I multi task again and listen to music while I walk her. That hour a day, typically between 5 and 6 AM is when I plan the rest of my day. I run through my "to do" list in my head and determine how I'm going to start the day at the office.
Usually another hour in the morning is spent catching up on the news of the day, watching any shows from the previous night I taped, or reading the paper. It's my time to learn, reflect, relax. So I'll count another 7 hours to this, leaving me about 46 hours to burn each week. 46 hours is a lot of time.
How I divide the rest depends on what show(s) I'm involved with, what is going on at church, what I need to do for my fraternity, Rotary projects, or other things I may have said "yes" to.
As I said earlier, the quality of your life is determined by how you spend your "extra" 46 hours. Are you doing things you love, or things you have to do? Are you surrounded by people you love, or just people you tolerate? For me at least, changing that time in my life has made all the difference in the world
Why do I do it? Simply because it's fun. I love seeing others realize they are capable of taking the first steps towards success. I particularly love watching young people achieve their dreams and stand in the spotlight, no matter if that spotlight is on a stage, or in a chapter room, or in a youth project at church. I've said before you don't keep track of the hours when you are doing the things you love. I LOVE what I'm doing.
Do I make sacrifices to find the time? Absolutely. I could certainly make more money if I devoted that time to my job. I could watch every Cubs game. I could see Illini games in person. I could travel to the places I have always wanted to see, China, Rome, Paris, Scotland and Pebble Beach. If I die tomorrow and have never seen Rome, I still will have accomplished everything I wanted to achieve in life. All I have ever wanted to do was make a difference in the lives of the people I meet everyday. That takes time, and you know what? I have plenty of that.
No comments:
Post a Comment