How to beat discouragement

There’s an old saying, “If we take care of the minutes, the years will take care of themselves.”

One minute doesn’t seem like much. However, never underestimate the cumulative effect of each minute we live. Let’s suppose a minute is worth one penny. You see a penny lying on the street but pass by it because it’s hardly worth the effort to pick it up. But suppose you begin to double that penny each day for a month. At the end of a week, you would have only 64 pennies. I know that’s not much, but at the end of a month, you would have 536,970,912 pennies. Translated into dollars, that’s $5,368,709.12.

The value we place on each minute of every day will have a cumulative impact on the remainder of our lives. Wasting time is really wasting a life.

Motivational speaker Michael Altshuler said: “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”

Time is precious. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. And once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back. An hour lost is never found. February is National Time Management Month.

My father taught me about time management. I still remember him telling me if I wanted to go fishing, I should be on the dock at 2 p.m. sharp. There I was at 2:05 p.m., waving bon voyage to my dad who was driving away in the boat without his fishing buddy. Tough love, lesson learned.

I have a saying that I’ve often used: Killing time isn’t murder; it’s suicide. We all start out in life with one thing in common: We all have the same amount of time each day, each week, each month and each year. Now it’s just a matter of what we do with it.  

In a professional and business setting, time is one of the most crucial resources we have. Here’s why it’s so important:

Efficiency and productivity — Time management directly impacts efficiency and productivity. When you manage your time well, you can accomplish more in less time, which is essential in a fast-paced business environment. Prioritizing tasks and setting clear deadlines ensures that you focus on what truly matters and avoid wasting time on less important activities.

Meeting deadlines — In business, meeting deadlines is critical to maintaining credibility and trust with clients, partners and colleagues. Effective time management helps ensure that projects are completed on schedule, which can enhance your reputation and lead to more opportunities.

Opportunity cost — Every minute spent on one task is a minute not spent on another. Understanding the opportunity cost of your time helps you make informed decisions about where to invest your efforts. This is especially important when balancing multiple projects or responsibilities.

Stress reduction — Poor time management can lead to stress and burnout. By organizing your time effectively, you can reduce stress levels, improve your work-life balance and maintain a healthier, more sustainable pace.

Strategic planning — Time is essential for strategic planning and decision-making. Allocating time for reflection and analysis allows you to anticipate challenges, identify opportunities and make informed decisions that align with your long-term goals.

Competitive advantage — Businesses that manage time well can respond more quickly to market changes and customer needs, providing a competitive edge. Being agile and adaptable can set you apart from competitors who may be slower to act.

One of my favorite motivational gurus, Zig Ziglar, said, “People often complain about lack of time when lack of direction is the real problem.” 

Companies and their employees may have a little more time to deal with their problems, but if they expect to stay in the game, they must be able to make rapid adjustments. Fortunes are made and lost by those who disrespect the importance and power of time. 

A major league batter has approximately two-fifths of a second from the time a baseball leaves the pitcher’s hand until it reaches home plate. In that split second, the batter must attempt to gauge speed, trajectory and placement of the pitch.

Those batters who can do it well enough to hit safely three out of 10 at bats become millionaires. Those who are a millisecond slower and can do it only two out of 10 times have to find another way to make a living.  

Regardless of your line of work, you still have the very same amount of time as everyone else. Don’t let the clock run out.  

Mackay’s Moral: Time is the most valuable asset a person spends.

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Harvey Mackay is the author of the New York Times bestseller “Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.” He can be reached through his website, www.harveymackay.com, by emailing [email protected] or by writing him at MackayMitchell Envelope Co., 2100 Elm St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414.