Time Is Your Fuel: Launch Your Spaceship In 5 Easy Steps!

Time dilation has never been explained as splendidly as it was done in Chris Nolan’s ‘Interstellar’. The film is making all kinds of right noises for having introduced some really innovative concepts, simplifying theories and executing them to perfection. Why would one month on a new planet mean seven years on earth? And why would the clock at the bottom of the ocean go slower than the one ticking away in the atmosphere? Time on earth is a notion of general relativity as explained by Albert Einstein.

In that case, what can the lesser mortals do? Clearly, time is running out. What would be the best option to choose when it happens often?
Theory of relativity in some sense applies to us on an everyday basis. How else would you perfectly understand clocks running slower when things are placed close to the object which happens to be the source of gravity?

Now, get this clear. You have been assigned a project. You pick the best of talents to work on it. Time is abundant at this point. You get engrossed in the details of the project. Time loses track. It seems like you have a lifetime to sort things out and work on it to perfection. You are on a different planet now.

But in a jerky move, you get transported to earth. You leave that constellation and come back to where you belong. Office space crawls on you, gnaws at you. Time spent on setting the project right has now been proved as ‘time lost’. You don’t know where to turn and what to do. And guess what, you can neither land, nor do you have the luxury of continuing to stay afloat. Fuel’s running out too. Delivery date was set yesterday. Isn’t that how it is, always? Sounds familiar, isn’t it?

Ample write ups have been churned out on time management. And, each one says the same thing as another. Yet, we continue to ‘need’ lessons on how to use time efficiently to increase productivity.

There’s no magical mantra that can elongate the time for you. No amount of stretching will happen even if you pray to every god who might exist in a notional form. Time is something that can neither be stopped, nor be borrowed or even stretched by a nanosecond.
How do you come around then?

Organiser, the culprit: Ditch your smartphone and get down to flow charts. Get down to basics and start with paper and pen. What your gadgets do is that they create an illusion of making you efficient while you get all jumbled up in your head. When time starts running out, your gadgets don’t help you. It’s that SOS corner in your brain that comes to your rescue. So, plan well with smallest of details so that you are AWARE of what you have on hand and how much time you would have to finish it. Work backwards, it always works well.

Account everything: This is not just about money, though money is also included in this. Team building activities may actually help you get through the project faster. We all know this; a happy team is a productive team. Account for the smallest of time spent in keeping the team together and you will know time is well within your control.

Smallest details; large scale planning: Don’t panic at the first sign of delay. Just check if that is bringing up an issue that could have been time consuming at any point later. Think through and stay calm. Understanding the problem is also saving on time at some point later. Larger picture should always be before you.

Plan and prioritize: This has been said a million times in the past and will continue to be said a million times in the future too. Planning is about seeing smallest of the small things that need your attention. Factor in most probable delays and emergencies halting the work. Create a second line that will take charge when something goes off track.

Tackle easy ones first: Most of us believe doing the tough things first gets us through easy things that can be done at any point. Do things that you are good at doing first, and then tackle tough challenges. Being the best is taking just one step at a time!

Image: Thinkstock