My client just lent me a book called Fantastic Voyage by Ray Kurzweil and Terry Grossman. It was quite an odd yet interesting book about the science behind “radical life extension”- the point being extending your life long now so you can make it to the point where technology can assist us to live forever. Personally, I don’t know if I would WANT to live forever?! But, I read the book focusing on their recommendations of what promotes an outstanding level of health for the present 😉
Check this link out for their “Short Guide to a Long Life.”
I started this post not intended as a book review, but because on one of the last pages of the book, I came across something that struck me and I wanted to pass it along.
Lately- well, probably often- I struggle with time management. I strive to be happy, joyful, sane, and potentially spontaneous.
So when I came across this item, it made me think. This is not an exercise I have done before. But seems very practical and helpful! The suggestion comes in Chapter 23 on “Stress and Balance.” The authors state “We can always find reasons to feel stressed, but the predominant source of stress in our lives is internally generated…It is an oversimplification to say that stress is bad for you. In many circumstances, certain forms of stress can be very damaging to one’s health.” They offer certain suggestions to reduce stress and promote balance in one’s life, one of which is good time management.
Without further ado, ladies and gents, here is their piece on time management: “How you spend your time reflects your priorities. As an exercise, write down your priorities in terms of work, family, friends, exercise, sports, relaxation, and so on. Then, for the following week, write down how you actually spend your time. How does your time management reflect an optimal and comfortable balance between work, family/friends, and self? With all the pressures of modern life, it is easy for your allocation of time to stray substantially from what you desire, and also from what is healthy. If you find a discrepancy, consider how you would prefer your time be spent, then develop a strategy for making the change. It’s often not possible to make significant changes overnight After all, you have responsibilities and obligations that cannot just be dropped. But with a well-thought-out plan, most people have a greater ability to control their destiny, not to mention their daily schedule, than they realize….Also, leave time free for problems and opportunities that arise. An overscheduled life does not leave time for spontaneity…”
Good stuff, eh? It makes me reflect- what is the discrepancy between what I would assert are my valued proportions for my activities versus my actual time spent? How am I doing now? Hopefully you also found this good fodder for self-analysis.
AUG
