Take time out to manage yourself!

In the world that we live, the so-called VUCA world where everything is volatile, uncertain, and complex and kind of ambiguous, we are often asked to do one thing – to somehow manage an inexorable force – TIME. So often we are ingeminated with what our older generation puts in as an ‘seminal’ and ‘crucial’ thing to learn and implement, is Time Management. I whole-heartedly agree to the fact that it is very important to honour time, it is after all, a non-renewable resource and oftentimes a mighty thing; but I usually am opposed to the way this not-so-jolly, yet really good concept of Time Management is touted.

‘Joker’ has been one of our generation’s favorite villains, ever wondered why? Well it is quite simple, we could relate to his difficulties – no one giving you the time of the day and no one valuing your efforts. Now, I know this sounds depressing and negative, but it is true. One of the most loved comedians of our times, Zakir ‘Sakht Launda’ Khan in one of his acts said – “we are a generation of broken hearts and broken people”. Since 2013, millennials have seen a 47% increase in major depression diagnoses (Source: Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Index), and there are still many more cases that go undiagnosed. One of the many reasons for the rise is same as in case of Arthur Fleck - “no one ever listens”. Millennials don’t always have someone to share their mental burdens with. Many researchers and expert blame this on our ‘fast-paced lifestyle’.

And owing to this flying at a 1000 mph of the time, comes in the concept of time management.

Time management as generally perceived, is all about juicing out the maximum of every minute of your life for a better… life. It is supposed to balance work, social life, studies, hobbies, relationships and so on with the finiteness of time. But is it what is really practiced? Let’s take up a life of an MBA student, you are to get up early to reach college on time after travelling in those overcrowded local trains in the city and face that dreadful traffic which seems to have forgotten the concept of peak hours. And while at it, you are supposed to be abreast with the morning news and must remember the formulas to be used in the other class. Oh, and also, travel with your laptops and chargers and phones (obviously) and be sure that you are prepared for that surprise test. And please, do be a part of at least one extracurricular activity and take charge of whatever you can. Then when you leave for home quite exhausted in the evening, hustling through this bustling city, you are to remember that you have homework to do, assignments to finish, papers to be read and presentations to be prepared. On top of this, you have a family to face, friendships to be nurtured and a relationship to manage, which sometimes can be a tad bit difficult to handle. How does a person manage all these and still find time for personal interests and health? Yes, there a few who can achieve this humungous feat, but can all?

The answer is no. In this race of being the best and ticking every box on that bucket list as soon as we can, we seem to have forgotten that the idea was not just to be fast, but to be efficient so as to live the best. We need to understand that it is okay to wait, to take a time out and even to sit out of the race for a while. And no, by this I do not mean that one takes off right in the middle of the semester or during a particular peak business month and go vacationing to Goa or Leh. What I mean is, you are entitled to take your time out to care for yourself. One can and I think one must ensure that they are not just rushing through this whole process of growing up. I know it is tough to be living the way we are – the dreadful traffic, those deadly train rides, limited pocket moneys (or salary in cases such as mine) and unlimited expenses, craving social acceptance, seeking social media approvals, acing our exams, impressing our superiors, and the inexhaustible list of exhausting things; trust me, I know it’s tough but at the same time, it is also important to ‘live’. Sit, savor this moment, feel it and embrace it, because as we know, time once gone never comes back.

Explore, not new places or new developments, but yourself. Sit back on your forearms and look up at the night sky to look at those stars. Try talking to that strictest faculty/family member/boss about what you feel about something other than studies and see how your perception of him/her changes (if it doesn’t, well, at least you tried!). Take that day off and sleep all day in the bed if you need it! Just don’t lose yourself in this process of rising above all. Learn that it is okay to deviate from the plan, it is okay if your plan fails even. Don’t succumb to pressure, don’t let it squeeze life out of you. Don’t forget to live, in order to have a better life. Celebrate a good score on a test, cry at an emotional movie or speech, even at your bad score if you want. Tell yourself that it is all going to turn out alright. Talk to someone if you feel everything’s going out of your hand. I know people are hard to come by for that but talk about at least one of your problems to someone, it helps immensely. It is not wrong or being weak to seek help. In fact, it is a powerful thing. You never know, you might not be the only one suffering. Seek time out of your schedule to live!

I first thought of writing something more expecting of an MBA student, something about the industry or other worldly things. But then I thought why not write about something I actually care about and think must be discussed at lengths. People keep suffering silently and are blamed for the consequences of those suffering and hence are burned out. We are known as the ‘burnout generation’ now. But it is important that one realizes that they are not alone in this mess, there are many people in this ship that seems to resemble Titanic but has the power and capability to avoid that iceberg of destruction. Just take a moment of respite and enjoy the pleasure of being in the moment. You have plenty thinking out of the box and living on the edge, try doing it old school style, at leisure and with ease. Don’t just block the time of the day into schedules, but live with the essence of time management, utilize that mighty force efficiently to LIVE!