Fly with time

think about yourself

ONE OF THE BEST and most profound books written in the

last few years is Daniel Kahnemans Thinking, Fast and Slow.

His insight is that we need to use two different types of

thinking to deal with the variety of situations we face in our

daily lives.

Fast thinking is the type of thinking that we use to deal

with short-term tasks, responsibilities, activities, problems,

and situations. We act quickly and instinctively. In most

cases, fast thinking is entirely appropriate for our day-today activities.

The second type of thinking that Kahneman describes is

slow thinking. Thats when you step back and take more

time to carefully think through the details of the situation

before deciding what you are going to do. Kahnemans insight is that the failure to engage in slow thinking when it

is required and necessary is the cause of many of the mistakes that we make in life.

To become excellent in time management, and to get

your entire life under control, you need to engage in slow

thinking on a regular basis. Start with the question, What

am I trying to do?

Think Before Acting

Very often you can find yourself working extremely hard at

your work, but you have not taken the time to stand back

and think about what it is you really want to accomplish.

There is the story of the husband and wife who leave on

a car trip from San Diego to Los Angeles. He is unfamiliar

with the road but driving at full speed in any case. At a certain point, the wife says, Honey, is Phoenix on the way to

Los Angeles?

He then says, Why do you ask? She answers, Well, we

just passed a sign that said we are on the road to Phoenix.

He replies, Never mind. Were making great time!

Before you step on the accelerator of your own life, you

must develop absolute clarity about what you are really trying to accomplish.

In The Devils Dictionary, Ambrose Bierce wrote that the

definition of fanaticism is redoubling your efforts after your

aim has been forgotten.

Is your goal to create a great life? Are you trying to build a

great career or accomplish a great piece of work? Your ability to stand back and engage in self-analysis and introspection—slow thinking—is essential for you to organize your

time in such a way that you are the most productive, and

that you are achieving the greatest amount of joy, satisfaction, and happiness from what you do.

Keep the End in Mind

Be clear about what outcomes you desire. As Stephen Covey

said, Start with the end in mind. What is the final result,

outcome, or accomplishment that you are striving to

achieve? Where do you want to end up at the end of the day?

As you scramble up the ladder of success, be sure that it is

leaning against the right building.

Are you working so that you can earn enough money to

be secure and to feel happy? Are you working because you

love your work, or because you feel youre on a mission to

accomplish something that is very important?

What would your world look like if you accomplished

your biggest goal? What is your vision for yourself and your

career over the long term? What is your mission? What difference do you want to make in the lives of other people?

If all you are working for is to earn enough money to pay

your bills, its going to be hard for you to build up and maintain a high level of commitment and enthusiasm. To be truly

happy and fulfilled, you must be working toward accomplishing something that is bigger than yourself, and that

makes a difference in the life or work of others.

Examine Your Methodology

When you are clear about what you are trying to do, you

must then ask, How am I trying to do it? Each time you ask

and answer these two questions, you will gain valuable

insights that will allow you to look at your situation and

know whether you are on the right track.

Once you are clear about what you are trying to do and

how you are trying to do it, you must then ask a third question: How is it going?

Is what you are doing moving you toward what you want

in the fastest and most efficient way? Are you happy with your

rate of progress? Are things going well, or are you experiencing

too many roadblocks and obstacles on your journey?

Most of all, question your assumptions. As Peter Drucker

said, Errant assumptions lie at the root of every failure.

What are your assumptions about your work and your

life? What are your conscious assumptions? What are your

unconscious and often unquestioned assumptions? It is

amazing how many hardworking people are laboring on the

basis of false assumptions that they have never questioned.

Seek a Better Way

As you ponder the Hows it going? question, you should

also be considering another important question: Could

there be a better way?

The fact is that there is almost always a different and better way to achieve a business goal. This other way may be

faster, cheaper, easier, and more effective.There is a beautiful line that says, There is more to life

than just increasing its speed.

Many people are working very hard but going in the

wrong direction on the wrong path. They are not clear about

what they are trying to do and where they want to end up,

but they dont want to face or deal with the possibility that

they could be wrong. The process of asking tough questions

requires slow thinking, but it can significantly increase the

speed at which you achieve your business goals and your

vision and mission.