When my children were younger, I would sometimes call them, at the end of the day, and make them write a list of the things they had done, since they woke up. The reason, I did this was to make them, forever conscious of the need to “account for one’s time”; time is an incredibly precious commodity. All these things that you want to do, are simply not possible, if you are not conscious of the need to account for time.
When I visited the United States, for the very first time in 1991, I wanted to learn as much as I could about what made it a success. This is something I try to do with every country, that I visit, around the world. If you look carefully, there is always something you can admire, and learn from any nation on earth.
In studying the lives of America’s founding fathers, I came across the “13 Virtues”, which one of them, man named Benjamin Franklin, wrote himself when he was only 20 years old. I wrote them, all down in a note book, and one I will always remember is this:
Virtue 1. Industry. Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
It really does not matter what your vision in this life is; whether it is “for profit”, or for “great welfare of mankind”; you cannot accomplish it, if you are not organised. Make it your personal mantra, to always try to be organised and efficient. This is at the core of productivity.
Even if you are a hard worker, you will get less from yourself, if you are not organised and efficient, in how you approach things.
We have a lot of work to do, to get Africa, to realise its potential. It’s important that this generation, approach this work with a sense of urgency.
There is so much you can accomplish, if you are highly organised, and it is a fundamental building block, to organising others.
Being organised is not just a declaration of intent, it must be followed by action. And you must invest in those things that make your more organised and efficient, as a person.
One of my young daughters came to me, one day, and said, “I have decided I will not have braids in my hair, anymore. Surprised, I asked, “Why not; you look great in your braids?” She looked at me, and said, “I’m concerned about the length of time it takes.”
“Maybe you should take a book?”
“That’s a good idea”.
She was clearly thinking, about what Old Benjamin Franklin had said, “cut off all unnecessary actions”. She still does braids now and again. The key issue, is she was willing to look at things in her life she considered inefficient.
Never be late to a meeting. If you say let’s meet at 10am, be there at 10am. And if on the rare occasion you are late, say sorry, even if it to one of your own children.
A few years ago, I coined a phrase, “Time thief”, to refer to people who have no value for the time of others. It is so important to value the time of others, even if they are your subordinates.
Be a leader with a difference; respect the time of others.
