Today’s Pearl
Earl Nightingale describes the perspective of the maturing adult from one who, at an early age, sees time as limitless. Then, without the hint of morbidity, he sees their perspective change as they age.
There appear small reminders of mortality. An ache here, a pain there. Depending on their emotional maturity level, some could find themselves in a vortex of depression, while others acknowledge life’s limits without dwelling on them.
For those of us with a healthy self-concept, such physical reminders bring with them emotional triggers. We begin to think how we treat each other, especially those we love.
We learn to forgive others and ourselves for acts that may have hurt us. We look forward to our ideal future with greater anticipation. And, to appreciate that, we acknowledge just how precious time really is.
To underscore the importance of time, Earl suggests that we “enjoy to the fullest the time that is remaining; that days are not things to be waited through until Saturday, or a birthday, or Christmas…but rather to be savored and enjoyed one by one, hour by hour.”
Moment by moment, intentional enjoyment. How precious. Yet, he reminds us how the well-adjusted among us “come to an understanding that to kill time…is really nothing more than to kill a little part of ourselves since time is all we have.”
The PM Takeaway
There are few among us property managers who find themselves intentionally killing time. But it begs the question, “Are you aware of those times when you might be letting time slip by?”
It’s hard to stay on task, one after the other, all day long and remain effective. We need breaks—moments to consider what’s important, what’s vital, and what’s next—before resuming our work.
If some of these breaks include zoning out in front of the tube all night long, and you rationalize its importance, then it might be worth a look.
5 Minutes to Win It
If you’re a TV-watcher like many of us, put your favorite book next to you. At the first commercial break, mute the TV and read for five minutes, or until your show starts again.
I’ve tried this several times. Invariably, I read more than five minutes before realizing it. Not only that, but I find the book far more interesting than the show so I keep reading!
If one of your goals is to increase your reading time (and it should be), try this exercise. Your library awaits!
**BONUS**
To add depth to this exercise, try two things: 1) read non-fiction, and 2) read with intention. In other words, pick up a non-fiction book that conveys the knowledge and wisdom you seek in an area of life that could stand improvement.
Next, consider what you expect from the book. Now read with this expectation in mind. Part of your brain will be scanning to detect significance in a way that makes absorption far more effective.
Feedback
If you experienced something beneficial, please click HERE. I’d love to hear your thoughts, suggestions and struggles.
Regarding the theme of ‘time’, I’m pre-enrolling property management professionals in my newest program called Master Your Calendar [need link to MYC sales page—or say “coming soon” in this section]. It provides entirely new perspectives and insights on time optimization.
MYC is designed for property managers who confuse ‘being busy’ with ‘being effective’ on and off the job. You’ll learn ways to restore a healthy work-life balance and figure out exactly where you need to be this year, month, week and right now.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your day. Thanks to Earl for inspiring me to pass this message onto you.
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Earl’s Pearls
Dubbed the Dean of Personal Development, Earl Nightingale recorded over 7,000 radio programs and 250 audio programs. I’ve listened to hundreds of his recorded Insight messages since the mid-80s.
I’ve gone through his most popular program Lead The Field a dozen times or more. And I’ve given away numerous copies to people I care about as the pearls of wisdom are timeless and priceless.
So I’ve decided to capture these pearls and translate them into every day ‘property manager speak’ so you can apply them in your life immediately. My reference book for this series is his written compendium of life lessons entitled The Essence of Success.
