Life is a DIY Project

P3 Get to the Point speech by Shahnawaz:

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer his plans to leave the house building business and live a leisurely life with his wife and family. He would of course miss his paycheck, but he would get by. The builder was sorry to see his favorite worker go and asked him if he could build one last house for him as a personal favor.

The carpenter succumbs to years of loyalty and said yes, but it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career. When the carpenter finished the house in few months, the builder came to inspect the house, the builder then handed over the front-door key of the house to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you."

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known that he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the house he had built none too well. I’m sure many of us can relate to this story. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important moments of our lives we do not give the critical tasks in hand our best efforts. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the shoddy house we have built.

They say ‘life is a play. It’s not its length but its performance that counts’. Time is the most precious thing for a person as it comes only once in life and never stays long. Whether favourable or unfavourable, If we fail to act when time is ripe, we miss the chance and curse our fate forever. Be it going an extra mile in the job to complete a critical project or spending some quality time with family for a simple meal or an extended vacation. Have we ever thought of the importance of time not used appropriately? If not, then you might want to give attention towards the following analogies

To know the value of one year, ask the student who failed his exam.

To know the value of one month, ask the mother of a premature baby.

To know the value of one week, ask the editor of a weekly.

To know the value of one day, ask the daily wage worker.

To know the value of one minute, ask the passenger who missed the train.

To know the value of one second, ask the person who escaped an accident.

I have three time management tips which might help all of us managing our time better.

Firstly, try & do it right the first time- The biggest thief of our valuable time is doing a sloppy job when we get down to work. If we are not bothered to do it right the first time, then we will not be motivated to do it ever. In the context let me share a personal experience with you where I ended up wasting one full year of my life on something which I absolutely detested just to please my loved ones. My parents wanted me to become a doctor but I had no interest in it as my passion had always been mathematics & finance. Post completing my high school, I ended up going to a reputed medical school in Pakistan; life in a medical can be claustrophobic, painful and boring if you don’t enjoy it. In the surgical room just the sight of human cadaver would make me feel like fainting let alone doing a surgical operation on it. This carried on for a year and I was almost at the verge of a nervous breakdown. So one day I garnered all my courage and told my parents my intention of quitting medical studies and pursue my education in finance field. They were reluctant initially but became very supportive later. That year which is lost due to my reluctance to communicate the situation with my parents will never come back.

My Second tip, is to stay sharply focused and committed to the task at hand and don’t allow any negative thoughts, failures or critics to distract you from reaching your ultimate goal. I read in one of the toastmaster journal that an average membership span of TM is 12-18 months. Imagine the gold miner who spends years digging for the gilded treasure, only to quit on the brink of discovery. Toastmaster program requires dedication, time & effort, but it builds a marvellous bounty of success and confidence to those who persist. I almost quit after my first speech when I started few months ago. My evaluator pointed out so many opportunities of improvement that I felt overwhelmed; I believed it would take a life time to get it right. But then I understood that the toastmaster journey is filled with obstacles, hurdles & frustrations: a disappointing speech, an overly critical evaluation. At these times, a mentor or club-mate can provide much-needed encouragement, perspective & inspiration. Often, we grow most during these times of testing & discouragement if we persist..

My third and final tip, is to set short term goals: Set the goal for each day, week or a month, so that you can make sure that the time is spent in a systematic manner. Plan your work, organize it before you start, fix a time limit for each job and do your best to complete it within that time.

Adoption of some of these practices could help us lead a better life. Think of yourself as the carpenter of time carving the pieces of time carefully. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project."

Over to you, Mr. Toastmaster.