“Lost Time is Never Found Again”

In an operational environment, everything is “go, go, go”. There is not a lot of time to sit around and chat. People come to work with a  goal in mind. They come to work with a target and deadline to meet. Whether it may be small targets, or contributing to a bigger goal. There is not much time in the day to get everything done. Sometimes, things pile up, and before you know it you have to stay after hours to complete your work and stay on top of your game.

According to studies, you spend about 1/3 of your life at work. Which they calculate to be approximately 90 000 hours of your entire life. And during our lifetime, we handpick only certain moments that made us feel special or happy. When you ask someone what some of these moments are, they are likely to say, laughing with my family. Or they may say, traveling to a different country with a loved one. Or someone could say it was receiving wise words from a mentor.

Incorporating two worlds

Happy memories are moments that sit in your heart and make you feel good. And each and every person would want to feel good (well I would assume that). Therefore, you should work towards feeling good every day (of course). But how can you make time to feel good when you’re at work and barely even had 2 minutes to have a sip of your coffee made 1 hour ago?

This is about incorporating two worlds. A world of good memories and moments that make you feel good, and a world of meeting targets (the workplace). How is this done? At every moment, you have a choice. You have a choice to interpret the moment as a chance to scold someone for wastage (for example). Or you have a choice to interpret that same moment to share vulnerability and tell someone you are worried due to the amount of wastage.

Every person has a different schedule and a different target to meet. Some people have a target to meet that is due only at the end of the month. And other people have targets they need to meet by the end of the day. So surely, making time for memorable moments is easier for one over the other. But you forget that special memories are a moment. And a moment may only be but a minute or 2.

MAKING the time

Each day goes by faster than the previous. Time flies from hour to hour. Every day there is a new excuse to not have a memorable moment. How will a person manage to fit every detail into their schedule? And it is as simple as you make it to be. You need to make the time. It may sound like roses, fairies, and rainbows. But if we do not make the effort to make the time, where will the time magically appear from? We start the week on a Monday and before we know it, we are closing our laptop on a Friday for the weekend to begin.

Did you make any moment a memorable one for the week? Or did the week go by like a blur as many other weeks do? Oftentimes, you forego your own need to feel happy for the greater good (of the company). But be careful to not forego your whole life. Every single minute is a minute that you are able to make memorable. No matter how silly it is to people.

Daily doses

Since you are around people every day, there are many opportunities for a memory. Many people call moments memorable because they are experienced in relation to another. For example, helping someone who is weak, carry a heavy bag, makes you feel good. Or teaching someone a skill which made their life easier, makes you feel good. Or sharing information that makes you feel vulnerable and having a positive response, makes you feel good.

According to Forbes, you can strengthen relations with co-workers or employees in many ways. For example, playing games and managing like a mentor. Another example is asking everyone the same question, and listening carefully to their answers. Or having lunch with them and being vulnerable and open with them. In addition to that, have staff members re-introduce themselves at meetings coupled with an interesting fact about themselves. And lastly, working alongside each other.

“Lost time is never found again” – Benjamin Franklin

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