1 TIME MANAGEMENT in the life of a Muslim by Engr. Keshinro J. A.DEEN FOUNDATION
2 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION DEFINITION OF TIME MANAGEMENTWHY DON’T WE HAVE THE TIME? TIME WASTERS SOLUTIONS TO TIME WASTERS BENEFITS & ABSENCE OF TIME MGT. TIME MGT TOOLS TIME MANAGEMENT STYLES CONCLUSION
3 INTRODUCTION Time is limited. Death is certain. However, our intention to live a productive life and to serve Allah will itself be enough to count as a positive action. Remember the analogy of a Bank crediting your account with $ 86,400 every day
4 INTRODUCTION contd… It carries over no balance from day to day, allow you to keep no cash balance, and every evening cancels whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course!
5 INTRODUCTION contd… Well, everyone has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds (24 hours). Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose.
6 INTRODUCTION CONTD… It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. How can it be that we are from God and to Him are our return, yet the time we waste is ours?
7 INTRODUCTION contd… Everything we have in this life is from God’s kindness and mercy and just as we have to return to God, so does the gift of time There are among those who believe in the popular saying as "Time is Gold." Time in Islam is more than Gold or any precious material thing in this world.
8 DEFINITION OF TIME MGT. Taking into account Islamic and administrative views, Malaekah defines time management as “the planning of using time and how to utilize it effectively for the purpose of making life productive and useful in this world and the Hereafter for us and for those around us, particularly the ones in our care.’
9 Time Mgt. from Qur’an and SunnahThe God Almighty takes an oath of time. “By the time (through ages), Man is surely at loss. Except those who do righteous deeds and exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to patience. – Surah Asr (Time) Ibn Abbas narrated that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said: "There are two blessings which many people lose: (They are) health and free time for doing good." (Bukhari 8/421)
10 Time Mgt. from Qur’an and Sunnah contd…Narrated Abdullah Bin Mas`ud Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "A man shall be asked concerning five things on the day of resurrection: concerning his life, how he spent it; concerning his youth, how he grew old; concerning his wealth, whence he acquired it, and in what way he spent it; and what was it that he did with the knowledge that he had."
11 Time Mgt. from Qur’an and Sunnah contd…The Prophet warned "Lose no time to do good deeds before you are caught up by one of seven calamities awaiting you: a starvation which may impair your wisdom; a prosperity which may mislead you; an ailment which may damage your health; an old age which may harm your senses; a sudden death; the Dajjal (Antichrist); or Doomsday, which is indeed the hardest and most bitter." (at-Tirmidhi, al-Baihaqi)
12 The Characteristics of TimeA resource equally available to all (24-hours) Time passes quickly. Time that passes can never return, cannot be stored, nor can it be compensated for, for time is irretrievable. Time is the most precious thing that man possesses.
13 The Characteristics of TimeTime cannot be bought, sold, rented, borrowed, doubled, saved or manufactured. Nevertheless, it can be invested and valued. “Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that you do not let other people spend it for you.” ― Carl Sandburg Time Management = Self-Management
14 WHY DON’T WE HAVE THE TIME?From a young age we are molded to pursue a material lifestyle. We are told: go to school so you can study, go to university so you can get a job, get a job so you can make money, and make more money so you can afford that house, that car, the holidays, the gadgets… But once you’re in the system, it isn’t easy to unplug. We are all guilty of it
15 WHY DON’T WE HAVE THE TIME?Unfortunately the lifestyle many of us pursue is not conducive to the simpler lifestyle that Islam teaches. However, I don’t believe they are completely incompatible.
16 TIME WASTERS INTERNAL .. comefrom within and are difficult to eliminate, some of them are; Procrastination Fear or lack of delegation Fear of making mistakes Inability to say ‘No’ Poor memory No set deadlines Lack of planning or poor planning Absence of priorities / objectives Unclear communication or information Hasty decisions Lack of self-discipline
17 TIME-WASTERS CONTD… EXTERNAL .. come from people, such as family and clients, or from things; Interruptions(social media, telephone) Unexpected Visits Excessive phone calls Ineffective or bad management Bad supervision Inefficient organization Lengthy Meetings repeated interruption or interruption during work
18 SOLUTION TO TIME WASTERSAnalysis of time-wasters demands: ‘identification of their sources in order to formulate appropriate solutions for eliminating wasters of time.’ Defining objectives by planning and scheduling tasks; Arranging priorities; Organizing office or home; Controlling interruptions and efforts; Application of the fundamentals and skills of effective communication
19 Managing InterruptionsKeep an interrupters log. Which interrupters are valid and which are not? Prevent or pre-empt (to appropriate) Reduce frequency or minimize duration (or extent) Put your Phone to work for you (not against you); Use voice mail to screen calls and set aside time to return calls. Learn to say “No”
20 Managing InterruptionsClassify your time; ‘Available’ and ‘Unavailable’ Time; Use words like ‘Busy’, “Inactive” or the word “Invitation Only”. Uncontrollable Interruptions (co-operate with them). There are some interruptions, no matter how hard you try, you cannot control.
21 Managing InterruptionsMost people are happy to schedule a more convenient time, but when this does not work, quickly set the parameters by saying something like, “I only have five minutes to talk about this right now,” and stick to it.
22 BENEFITS OF TIME MANAGEMENTSelf-esteem or Self-respect Strong relations Stress free life Eliminate wastage Good health and healthy relationships Positive outlook Always prepared Career and business building Personal development
23 ABSENCE OF TIME MANAGEMENTStress and poor health Broken relations Unhappiness Fear of losing job, losing business Unfinished tasks items /Always having too much to do Rundown and Tiredness Last minute rushes to meet dead-lines Degradation of performance Full of interruptions Procrastination of important tasks Too many priorities
24 TIME MANAGEMENT TOOLS To-do-list Planning Goals and PrioritiesDelegation: Get Help from Others Synergy Avoiding Procrastination Break the Tasks Honor the Time of Others Manage Time Wasters Avoid Multi-tasking
25 ‘ Rocks and Sand: The Ultimate Time Management Framework’ Water Stones Rocks How can you fill the Jar with these materials without leaving anyone behind? Jar Sand
26 Rocks and Sand: The Ultimate Time Management FrameworkStart with a bucket, some big rocks enough to fill it, some small stones, some sand, and water. The bucket is your available time. The rocks, stones, sand and water are your tasks - a few big ones, some more medium-sized ones, and lots of small jobs and continuous demands and interruptions. It is all about setting your priorities
27 Rocks and Sand: The Ultimate Time Management FrameworkAlways work on your largest and most tedious tasks first, if you start with your simple, small tasks, they will continue to accumulate as your day progresses and you will be majoring in minor job tasks all day long. We want to accomplish those things that most contribute to our success in the areas we work in. Trust me, the small tasks will still be there when you are done with the major job task! Use the end of your day, when you're less productive to clean up the small details.
28 Seven (7) Steps for Setting PrioritiesDecide exactly what you want. Write it down. Set a deadline on your goal. List what you must do to achieve your goal. Organize the list into a plan. Take action on your plan immediately. Resolve to do something every day that moves you towards your major goal.
29 TIME MANAGEMENT STYLESTHE FIRE FIGHTER THE OPPORTUNIST THE PLANNER THE ADMINISTRATOR
30 THE FIREFIGHTER Hates planning and preparationEnjoys facing up to and solving crises (works in a vicious circle) Some times creates them just for the fun of solving them Take action first and talk about it later Cope effectively with crises React effectively to changing priorities Never procrastinate No Agenda for meeting Any decision is better than no decision Handle several difficult jobs at once
31 OPPORTUNIST Unsystematic and often disorganizedHates paper work and routines Adores changing things Creative and inventive Innovates constantly Nothing should remain unchanged for very long Try different ways of doing things every time Every situation requires handling differently Usually rely on memory Belief not in bureaucracy
32 THE PLANNER Spends a lot of time planning future activitiesInvest a little time now to save a lot of grief later Learn from the past Considers every detail and contingency Rarely does anything unpremeditated Well prepared for meetings Something of a perfectionist Procrastinate if unsure Usually make appointments Set aside specific time to do things Try to plan for every eventuality Never make snap decision
33 ADMINISTRATOR Adores systems of all sorts and tries to get everything to conform Dislikes surprises, deviation from the norm or experiments Ask for help when needed Access information whether important or trivial Regularly overhauls system and replaces with them more efficiently Stick to a specific time management system Keep detailed record of all meetings and discussions Always use a task or a ‘things to do’ list Diary is always right up to date
34 Work to Priorities Priority of a job is based on theImportance + Urgency
35 WHAT ARE PRIORITIES IMPORTANT NOT IMPORTANT URGENT NOT DO NOWProfit supporting task Problem resolution Fire fighting Reports and other submissions Meetings and Appointments Emergencies, complaints & critical issues REJECT Non productive but enjoyable activities Non productive meeting Many phone calls Duplicated effort Accumulated unresolved trivial, Misunderstanding as complaints NOT PLAN TO DO Solving causes of problems Planning & preparation Research and investigation Personal development Proactive prevention Building relationships Project planning and scheduling Thinking and creating Developing strategy RESIST & CEASE Non relevant meetings Silly s & text msgs Reading unnecessary mats Comfort activities (e .g computer games…..) Unnecessary and challenged routines Chat and gossip Interrupting others Daydreaming
36 DEVELOPING POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDEFeel good about yourself Empower yourself Change your attitude about others Feel, act and think enthusiastically Proud of your company Proud of your performance Believe in yourself Keep company of optimists Stop being moody Exercise everyday Time Mgt. = Self Mgt.
37 CONCLUSION Realize that….Time is the measure of life, time is an amaanah (trust), time is a gift from the Creator and its proper use will determine our outcome for eternity. We are born in time, live in time and die in time; time is the ambit within which we operate. What we do with time is what we do with our lives. Each one must realize that every moment that passes by is an opportunity gone, used or abused; never to return. Soon time will be up and we'll have to leave this physical world and give account for our lives.
38 CONCLUSION …… The more we remind ourselves of the responsibility of the present the better we get at living the moment and the better we live the present moment the better the consequence for the future. Remember that today well-lived makes yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Now, in this moment of time, you are creating. You are creating your next moment. That is what’s real. -Sara Paddison Yesterday is history, tomorrow a mystery, today is a gift, that's why it's called the present! -Elanor Roosevelt
39 CONCLUSION ….. Wise are the words of the one who said ... "I expect to pass through this world but once; any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again." I ask Allah to guide us and allow us to pursue a more active Islamic way of life. Insha'Allah! "O Allah! Make life a means for every dimension of goodness." [Prayer of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)]
40 Jazakumullahu khairanFor Listening