Treat Time as a Resource – Don’t Waste It Feeling Sorry for Yourself!
This is a guest post.
We’ll never have enough time.
Paradoxically, understanding that concept allows us the potential to wisely utilize the time we have!
Using time to overcome life’s challenges is a topic I cover extensively in my book, THE POWER OF ADVERSITY: Tough Times Can Make You Stronger, Wiser, and Better. I know from personal experience that the advice I share with you here is incredibly effective.
Transforming time from an adversary into an ally has helped me develop the positive mindset to be able to dust myself off from early business failures and build my company, Weatherchem, into the leader in my industry. Understanding time has also allowed me to put aside self-pity and rise above the adversity in my personal life, helping me overcome serious and chronic physical illnesses, and severe emotional conflict.
You too can grasp hold of the reins of time, making it work for you as opposed to against you as you confront your troubles. All that’s needed is for you to accept a single life-changing realization:
Time is truly the only resource you have to expend against adversity.
After all, even if you throw money at a problem, all you’re really doing is buying yourself extra time by having others tackle your troubles on your behalf.
Let’s start with the assumption that we each have some recreation we enjoy doing “to pass the time.” I like to swim. You may enjoy playing golf or tennis… bowling…. or basketball…
In all these activities we instinctively understand that win, lose or draw, playing the game is where the real fun is. Our time spent doing our chosen activity pleasures us in myriad ways.
Now what would happen, do you think, if you approached your adversity – whatever it may be – as if it were your favorite form of recreation? As if it were a rather difficult shot on the 17th hole… or a particularly adept tennis opponent?
Do you think you could “pass the time” tinkering with your adversity the way you might tinker with your golf swing?
Let me put it another way: Do you think you could take the mind-set and skill-sets you’ve developed through time, and put them to work against the adversity you’re confronting… the same way you might, let’s say, apply your accumulated golf ability to improving your long game? Is it worth trying?
Remember, whether your problem is a lousy golf swing or, say, unemployment, all problems are solved the same way…
First, you take the time to get creative and come up with a possible solution. Second, you take the time to be innovative and throw your ideas against the wall to see what sticks, keeping in mind that there’s no such thing as a mistake if you learn from your actions.
Granted, there is an immense difference in rebuilding your golf swing and rebuilding your career – but ultimately both are rebuilt through the process of trial and error – over time.
Written by Al Weatherhead
Al Weatherhead is the author of The Power Of Adversity and chairman and CEO of Weatherchem, a private manufacturer of plastic closures for food, spice, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products.
Article photo by Temari 09
3 Responses to “Treat Time as a Resource – Don’t Waste It Feeling Sorry for Yourself!”
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thank you Al
Great read! Sounds like I need to make time my best creative ally! Wow. Turn the enemy into the friend.
So happy you’re enjoying some many of our articles!
-Andrew