All of you have a significant issue to contend with. How to manage time? How to get the best from a twenty-four hour day? How to allocate the time between conflicting demands? All these questions continue to nag from a corporate leader down to a maths teacher. I am proposing System 8484 as a simple and straightforward solution. This blog posts explain the Time Management System 8484 and its cosmics. By implementing this system you can manage your time effectively. This could result in changes in your life style. Moreover, it would improve your business life as well as family life.
Introduction
Time Management System 8484 stands for the allocation of hours amongst Work, Maintenance, Rest & Service. Work is allocated 8 hours; Maintenance is given 4 hours; Rest is allowed 8 hours; finally Service is provided with 4 hours. All add to a 24 hour day. This system gets its name “System 8484” from the number hours allocated for each segment. You can draw up your routine on a weekly basis and list your activities and time taken under the four heads: Work, Maintenance, Rest & Service. As much as possible you stick to the routine. There may be instances when one head exceeds its allotted total hours; never mind. Once in a way, any system has to be stretched, amended or adjusted. In these circumstances try to come back to normal routine as soon as possible. Sometimes, there could be grey areas such as business travel. If you are travelling from home to work it cannot be treated under the “Work “head; but if you are travelling on duty during office hours it should be treated as part of work. You can develop your own categorization to treat each item. However, the broad System 8484 should be retained. Make it a point to review your Time Management System 8484 on a weekly basis.
Work 8 Hours
I use the word “Work” as something encompassing your main activity. In the case of a student study is equated to Work; in the case of a priest preaching and connected area is treated as Work; for a self-employed, everything he does in furthering his earnings is Work; in the case of a housewife managing a house is Work. At the same time, it does not mean that the housewife does the 8 hours at a stretch; it could be ordinarily staggered. Though Work generally implies activities during weekdays, it is not necessarily so. For a self-employed, there is no demarcation between weekdays and week-ends. Even for a salaried person, seminars and coaching can fill up the week-ends. However, many of you have your week-ends intact. If so it would be better to use the week-ends to attend on activities connected with your house and activities under Service 4 Hours explained later in this blog post.
Most of you do not put 8 hours work; this is because most part of your time is wasted; there are enough time-wasters; the latest is the endless meetings you attend. Unexpected visitors from outside or un-scheduled appointments springing up inside office are the next time waster. Fire fighting is the harrowing item, where your time is spent in managing issues and problems that crop up in due course. If you really put a solid 8 hours work then it is more than enough. If so, you do not need to carry the work to your home. A person who works late is generally not rewarded, but a person who comes to office early is always appreciated. Unless there is an emergency or the need to earn more money never go on board for working late. Remember a smart worker is better than a hard worker.
Maintenance 4 Hours
Under this head we have a range of activities. Once you have done a solid 8 hours of work it is necessary to maintain the system. As a student you are always reminded “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. Children who balance their studies and sports emerge as leaders. As a youth you are encouraged to work and study and engage in sports as well. When you reach middle ages, you are advised to work in office and do the work-outs in the gym. By the time you become a senior citizen you work little, stroll in the evening and turn to your spiritual side. Whatever you do and whatever the station and status you are in, keep in your mind that you have to maintain your body, mind and finally the soul. As you grow the attention paid for body maintenance gradually decreases; not only that, even the focus undergoes a change. In the beginning you are focussed to build up stamina and towards late life you concentrate on endurance against disease and disability. Likewise maintaining mind also goes a see-saw. As a child and during adolescence you have to study books to hone your mind skills; as you reach maturity it is observation, recollection and reflection that keep your mind alert. Then there is enjoyment of the body and mind: sex, dating, attending parties, entertainment, leisure all these are must for everyone in varying degree of course. Even then, soul is the missing link for many of you.
I suggest that you spend your Maintenance 4 Hours in physical work-outs, taking bath, clipping your nails, having hair-cut, trimming your body and looking after your physical body as if it is your spouse, that is give the best enjoyment in sex and pleasure. Thereafter, attend to your mind; spend time to relax the mind by doing a jigsaw puzzle or crossword puzzle or do few arithmetical calculations; if you cannot do any of these let your mind fly away to a distant land observing and recollecting all what your mind reads. Finally, I suggest that you start Yoga, Kabala, or Sufi Exercises that enhance your inner power and strength.
Rest 8 Hours
Rest is again all-inclusive word; it can mean sleep, rest or simply relaxing. Every person requires good sleep; children sleep for 11 to 12 hours; teens need about 9 to 10 hours which they hardly get; adults require about 7 to 8 hours which they neglect. At sleep your systems in the body continue to function. While it slows metabolism, heart-beat and blood-pressure, it continues its function of producing & releasing hormones and replacing body cells. In the case of children and teens it makes them grow, while in the case of adults it strengthens their systems. When you do not get the necessary sleep this function is impaired. You can reduce the sleep time only if you are able to take an afternoon siesta or can take rest in the day time. As a busy executive you may not get the necessary sleep at one stretch. No harm if you can compensate by catching up of the lost sleep hours. You must train yourself to relax in the middle of a heated discussion or under any stressful conditions.
If you are doing solid 8 hours work and solid 4 hours Maintenance, then it is easy for you to fall sleep, rest or relax as you please. If not, then you have troubles in getting the necessary rest. Listening to soft music or looking at natural scenes relaxes you more than any medication. Behaviour modification, called Be-Mod is another solution. On your own you can start scrutinizing your Work and Maintenance schedules and make the necessary amendments and adjustments.
Service 4 Hours
You will be wondering why I am using the word “Service”. Well service is something you do for others; it may be under a filial bond such as looking after the family and children or extending your heart by looking after people outside your family circles. Put it in other words it is your contribution to the family at home and society at large. On reaching her 100 th birthday the Queen Mother in England was asked how does she feel now? She gracefully replied saying that the God has given her life to do service unto others. If neglected, the areas of familial love and societal love would come to roost towards the end of your life.
Spend time with the children or with your spouse; have little time to fix the leaking pipe. Visit your mother or an elder. Do something for others: socializing is a must because you are a social animal; attending weddings and funerals is a social duty cast upon you. Joining in your colleague’s birthday party is another item in your agenda. Extending it little far, you remember the local priest asked you to attend to some work which you never did. Now is the time to complete this task. Participate in activities of a voluntary association in your area. If you cannot do these on a weekdays do it over the week-end. Whatever you do remember one point: None of the activities should give direct benefit to you and you alone.
Muthu Ashraff
Cosmic Adviser
Mobile: +94 777 265677
E-mail: cosmicgems@gmail.com
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