A LITTLE SLEEP, A LITTLE SLUMBER AND ITS DEADLINE

Who would have thought I could wake up at 3 am early to think about my problem, TIME? Twenty-four hours was not enough for me. The assignments, group meetings, personal development sessions, preparations for class, family, work and Lagos. What’s happening to me? This is the question I began to ask myself. I’m losing control. I cannot handle this anymore. Sleep is the only thing that works in this situation for me, but sleep betrayed me. The deadlines kept ringing like an uncontrollable alarm in my head. I found myself thinking, I need to make this work I muttered to myself. This has to work.

While reflecting on ways to manage my commitments better, I stumbled upon a thought: Time Management! I remember we had a session on this topic in the brush-up sessions. I hurriedly got my book and decided to go over it again. How can I forget so soon the ‘faculty’ as we call it, who took this session? She looked beautiful and relaxed and was married with kids. In her mid-40s (though she looked younger), her smiles- were captivating, but one thing stood out: her qualifications, there were lots of them. Smiling as a result of my thoughts, I recall asking her how she got all her qualifications while fully present in all other aspects of her life—purpose, she said.

What is your purpose she asked? It is essential to understand what your purpose is, she started. Purpose is like the compass that guides your decisions and leads you to experiences that light you up. Connecting your purpose to meaningful work can be challenging, and a solution to that is setting priorities. Priority, she added, is the guide to keep you focused on what you plan to achieve. When priorities are clear, it is easy to focus on fulfilling activities around those priorities and reduce time spent on things that are not important. A conducive environment similarly is an essential element that contributes to time management.

Also, goal setting is essential for success in time management. It provides you with the benchmark for measuring success. You need to know how to set these goals. The goal-setting process starts with carefully considering what is to be achieved and ends with the hard work of achieving these goals. Goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. Goals also keep us focused. Lastly, she mentioned the 80-20 Pareto principle. This principle states that 20% of your efforts produce 80% of the result. This technique teaches you to focus on what’s essential in your life and your life’s goals. Learning to recognize and then focus on that 20% is the key to making the most effective use of your time.

Wow, I thought I had all the answers yet endured the agony of ignorance on time management. I know what to do. These insights would be adhered to with immediate effect. Brush-up sessions were great. They were stepping stones to a successful MBA journey, and I’m thankful for them.

#MMBA5.