Stop me if you’ve heard this one: “Timing is everything.” Okay, don’t really stop me because this would be the world’s shortest and most useless blog post. It’s safe to say that most people in the English speaking world have either said this phrase, heard it or probably both. I think non-English people probably say it too.
How about this one: “There’s no time like the present.” Or how about the competing thought, “Good things come to those that wait.” Which one is it? Should you wait or should you take action? Now we have a conundrum on our hands. I say both. More on that later.
Time dictates much of what we do in our lives. We don’t have enough of it or we’re wasting it or it’s just ticking, ticking into the future. An individual that is able to manage their time effectively has a great advantage over those that do not. Important parts of managing our time include taking action and waiting. The key is knowing when to do what.
Many great performers in athletics and entertainment are said to have great timing. Mickey Mantle’s ability to swing his bat at the exact moment needed to make contact with the baseball is attributed to great timing. Jerry Seinfeld’s expert delivery of the punchline is because he has great timing and his white Nikes. Not really.
Timing Is Preparation
Is their timing success because these legends merely have an innate sense of when to do the right thing that we mere mortals do not possess? Maybe there is some truth to that, but more likely it is because they worked at honing their craft so that it became second nature. In other words, they were prepared.
Before the late, great Mick ever stepped into the batter’s box to pound one of his 536 home runs out of the park, he was in the batting cage developing his timing. He learned to wait for the right pitch and when it came he took action. The rest is history.
Everyday we can take the necessary steps to prepare for our next big opportunity to smash it into the upper deck. This could mean a business deal, a new venture or an important relationship that you have been looking for. Now is the time in the blog post to give some actionable steps.
3 Simple Time Management Tips
Here are some simple steps to help you be ready to wait or take action when the time is right.
- Think. Spend some time alone so that you can clear your head and think objectively about the day. Preferably this would be at the beginning of the day otherwise you might just be thinking about how bad the day went. Quiet time is good for the brain. You could very well solve the problem you’ve been banging your head against the wall about. So, stop banging the head. That’s where your brain is. You need that to think. Try driving to work in silence or using your shower time to gather your thoughts. We all should have shower time, if not there’s another blog post you need to read.
- Plan. Once your thoughts have been gathered now is the time to plan out the day by writing it down. Maybe it is just a simple list of things to do. That alone will help you stay on track with your time and ensure your high priority tasks are taken care of. Write it down and make it plain. First of all we should have an overarching vision for our lives that dictates what we do. Our daily plan of action should support our life’s vision. Every day you are building your future. Use the right materials so that the end product matches the original plans.
- Learn. Never stop learning especially when it comes to your life’s work. The world needs you to be your best. While we each have our own unique voice, we still must rely on the voices of others that have gone where we have yet to go. Thirty minutes a day of bettering your self will make a significant difference. Surround yourself with people that challenge you to be more than you are right now. Mediocrity produces more mediocrity. Get around the great and it will produce the great in you.
Should we wait or take action? The answer is both as I mentioned previously. Everyday making the right choices with time management will help us be prepared when the timing is right for the next big thing whatever that may be.
“Life is all about timing… the unreachable becomes reachable, the unavailable become available, the unattainable… attainable. Have the patience, wait it out. It’s all about timing.” – Stacey Charter