We live and die by the clock. We enter this world at a specific time and leave it the same way. However, it's the time in between that is the most significant and important. Everything in this modern world is based on time, and how quickly and efficiently can tasks get done. We live in what I like to call the "Era of Now". If we have to wait in a line for more than two minutes we quickly become annoyed. You see it every day, the businessman on his bluetooth sprinting past individuals nearly colliding into elders and children. Time can be your friend or your enemy depending on the situation, for most college students it's usually not too friendly. For those who are my age; I have a few words of advice.
In High School my time management was essentially non-existent. I did almost everything last minute whether it was a homework worksheet or a final paper. I was stuck in a child's mentality that everything will work out and I'll figure it out. There were many times where it did work out, and I'd miraculously get a decent grade, but there was always the other side of the coin where I'd completely bomb the assignment. It wasn't because I was trying to be rebellious or didn't care; it was simply because I didn't realize how precious time was. I couldn't correlate time into a tangible commodity. What I mean is that I couldn't see the direct result of using my time wisely towards something and yielding the best result possible. It wasn't until the summer going into my junior year of High School that I got my first taste of time investment success. I trained for Football six days a week with several different successful trainers throughout the whole summer preparing myself for the upcoming season. By the time camp started I had nearly doubled my bench, squat and clean maxes. I felt more prepared for that season then I had been prepared for anything else in my life before. I thought I would come in and easily secure the starting position of defensive tackle; I was sadly mistaken. I got reps and continued to work. I had to trust that the time that I had invested over the summer would pay off, I had to learn how to be patient, and not to expect an immediate return of investment. I waited, and as I waited my reps were decreasing as the schedule got tougher through the season. I grew impatient, to the point where my inner fire and drive that had pushed me to succeed through those tough training sessions, was beginning to dwindle. Then I got my chance when the starter in front of me got injured. I was put into a position to start, and I never looked back from that point. I played harder than I had ever played in my entire life. I knew that this was the opportunity that time was giving me, along with higher factors I believe.
It's hard to be comfortable in the unknown without a doubt, and as the clock ticks it gets a little bit harder. But the key to overcoming the challenge of the clock is to be patient, have a plan and a goal. Whether it's in athletics, academics, jobs, relationships, etc, knowing that if you put the time and effort into whatever it is you're doing, the results will eventually match the investment. Things may not always add up, you may have to wait longer than you expected or wanted, but knowing that investing that time will ensure success, in the end, is what's important. It's important to understand how important time management is, and it's even more important to understand that time isn't something to fear. Live life for your happiness and for your goals. Don't say, "It's too late.", "I don't have time to...", "I'll eventually..". These phrases are toxic to who we are as people because time is a factor yes, but it's NOT the end all be all we make it out to be.
