Do you have the 'time" to reflect about how you use your "time"?

Time management has never been so important as it is in the Twenty-First century. We all try to manage many tasks, issues as well as our complex lives.

However, I know from people around me that they are "supposedly" so busy, that they forget or do not see the importance of reflection. They rush around all day, and are not really productive. However, I see that people have become indoctrinated that being busy gives a sense of worth and importance.

The best principle I gained from working in commerce, was that you should "work smartly". Now what does that mean, many of you will say. Well, working smartly is not about being voluminous or having constant presence. It is about being seen as effective when you work, producing quality with little or less effort and not spending lengthy hours in doing so.

That may seem like a tall order, but the reality is that it should be how we all work. Planning our activities, reviewing the impact to ensure that the measure taken achieves our goals and aspirations. Now, why do we not apply this to our lives?

Certainly, in business if you have a task to fulfil in a timescale, you would plan and review performance ongoing. Yet, so many people forget this management of their own lives.

I often do this with decision-making to ensure that I achieve the best solution or answer. I seek counsel with family and friends, depending on the importance of the issue. I may also reflect on being in similar situations to determine how a new situation could be managed. Clearly, you can gain too many opinions and confuse the issue, however it depends on the topic as to how many others you consult, if at all.

Reflecting for me involves taking a step outside the situation, and then looking in at how I handled those events. Often I can judge the result(s) and see whether I took the right actions. Thus, I form a baseline to move forward and deal with later situations taking into account this knowledge.

Some people need to be in the zone to reflect and achieve this by exercise, relaxation or simple by being peaceful. Personally, writing poetry is another way in which I reflect and analyse everyday situations and actions. I wrote this poem called "Time", which is about a man looking back and reflecting on his life. He comes to the realisation that his decisions were perhaps selfish, and that he did appreciate the importance of his relationships.