Learn to work and understand life

Author: Pang Nali
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: The transformation between negative time and positive time
It is common to hear people say, "I wish I had more time," or "If only there were 25 hours in a day." Of course, this is never fulfilled. Despite this, many people manage to make the most of their limited daily time and live meaningful lives. Therefore, how to manage time can be said to be a crucial aspect of life. If you often feel too busy and don’t have time, you should first carefully examine how you spend your 24 hours each day, i.e., carefully review the content of your "busyness."
Observing those who frequently complain about being busy can reveal that they are often overwhelmed by the amount of work they must handle, leading to immense pressure. This is why they can’t stop talking about how "busy, busy." Alternatively, they may not know where to start or appear constantly on the move, giving the impression of being very busy. Additionally, some mistakenly believe that being busy is the same as working. These people, who are controlled by time, fail to realize that wasting time is the greatest waste in life.
If you have someone like this around you and they say, "I’m completely swamped," you might as well ask them, "Why are you so busy?" They will undoubtedly give various reasons, such as "the plan proposed by my boss is too difficult" or "the progress of company A is too slow." They shift the blame for their busyness onto others, but of course, this will never free them from the constraints of time.
There was an extremely hardworking office worker who, due to excessive busyness, developed a neurosis. It was said that he worried so much about his work that he didn’t even dare to rest on holidays. What this patient urgently needed, in addition to his work, was to find a hobby. Busyness was his daily state. As a result, he couldn’t rest when he should have been resting, eventually leading to physical and mental exhaustion.
Soon after, the patient expressed a desire to get a driver’s license. "Go ahead and do what you want!" the doctor replied. However, the patient told the doctor it was difficult to do so, citing his busy schedule as the reason. The doctor then asked him, "Have you ever seen a dentist?" When someone has a toothache, they will always take time to see a dentist. Of course, the other person might argue that it’s because the pain is unbearable. But the point isn’t about that. In unavoidable situations, one must prioritize important matters over meaningless busyness. It’s not that there isn’t time—it’s that time isn’t being used effectively.
If you think you are extremely busy, it’s often just a feeling. As long as you calmly examine the content of your busyness, you will surely find time to spare. From a physiological perspective, being constantly busy will inevitably lead to a breakdown in some part of the body. We should learn how to identify the free time hidden behind our busyness and transform it into "positive time."
For example, when a client scheduled to meet you calls to say they will be 20 minutes late due to traffic, most people simply wait. They might think, "Since I’m already so busy all day, I might as well wait patiently for these few minutes." But in reality, there is a lot that can be done in 20 minutes, such as doing some stretching exercises to shift your mood.
We must recognize that "negative time" will always exist. In military terms, this is called "dead time." Dead time refers to extra time that serves no purpose. The military requires its members to live in a highly disciplined group setting, as...