| You have most probably heard of this quotation that | | | | over the world, often get not only good ideas - but |
| goes something like, "If you want to know the value of | | | | brilliant ones - when in the shower? Do yourself a |
| one second, ask the athlete who came in second | | | | favour. Get a cassette and tape recorder, place it |
| place; If you want to know the value of one minute, | | | | somewhere in your bathroom where water cannot |
| ask the worker who missed his train to work." I have | | | | touch it, and press 'Record' as you begin to shower. |
| not the memory nor the space nor the time to quote it | | | | Make sure the microphone is sensitive enough to |
| here fully, but I wish to acknowledge the fact that we | | | | detect your voice while showering. When you get any |
| do get that occasional amount of precious free time, | | | | brilliant ideas (about your business, schoolwork, a song, |
| ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes | | | | a story idea, whatever), just shout it out into the |
| (depending upon your level of productivity and | | | | recorder. You'll find that your most useful tool is your |
| efficiency in whatever it is that mostly occupies your | | | | notebook, tape recorder, PDA or other idea-recording |
| day). While we're waiting for the bus, train or taxi, we | | | | devices. Find those which are portable and convenient |
| get some free waiting time. Whether we're singing or | | | | to carry around, even to the bathroom. You never |
| cursing as we're trapped in heavy traffic, we get free | | | | know when a great idea strikes you or when you just |
| time. When we queue to pay for those Aspirin | | | | need to think on paper (tape or tablet). In the queue? |
| (Panadol) tablets at the pharmacy, we get free time. | | | | Have a conversation with your IRD (idea-recording |
| Hey, even when we're answering nature's call in the | | | | device)! If you don't know what to write, record or |
| bathroom, we get some free time (some people may | | | | type, just write, record or type anything. In the lift? Fish |
| prefer to spend it reading magazines or practising | | | | out your IRD! This will be more productive than trying |
| breath-holding exercises)! If the phrase "time is money" | | | | to guess who was responsible for the sudden change |
| is literally true, we'd all be billionaires by age 72; that is, if | | | | of smell in the lift. Waiting for the movie to start while in |
| we save the time-money in the first place and invest it | | | | the theatre? Take out your IRD! Just make sure to |
| in what-have-you's and profit from compound interests | | | | stop when the movie begins. Here are some Effective |
| or other Buffetological what-not's. What is time | | | | Questions you can apply with regards to optimising |
| optimisation? It is the best possible use of the time - | | | | time: Before you take on the day, you may want to |
| whatever amount it is - that we have been accorded. | | | | ask, "What are the best ways for me to spend the |
| In other words, time optimisation is the most effective | | | | small amounts of free time that I will have for this |
| use of time, no matter how short or long that duration | | | | day?" "How can I best use the large amounts of free |
| is. You see, there are several ways, an infinite myriad | | | | time that I will have today?" "What are the best, most |
| of ways, we can spend the time that is given to us. | | | | productive, short activities that I can engage in during |
| The number of ways and what we can do itself are | | | | the free time that I will have today?" "How can I spend |
| both determined by the length of free time accorded | | | | the little free time I will get today in order to help me |
| to us. This article concerns tiny little fragments of free | | | | move forward, no matter how little, towards achieving |
| time. I'm dealing with anywhere from a few seconds to | | | | my targets for the day?" "How can I further exercise |
| a few minutes. It's usually not productive to battle your | | | | the faculties of my mind during the short periods of |
| procrastination problem by getting started on - or | | | | free time that I will get for the day?" "What are the |
| continuing with - that enterprise you're intending to | | | | best ways I can relax my mind and body during the |
| accomplish within a window of only a few seconds or | | | | short span of free time I'll have today?" "How can I |
| minutes. What I mean to say is that you can do | | | | further optimise the time that I have today than |
| nothing much in only a few seconds or minutes of free | | | | yesterday?" Then, every night, before you retire, get |
| time - you can do nothing physical much, that is. But | | | | your journal, or your IRD, and start asking and |
| what you can do is some constructive mind work. | | | | answering these questions: "How have I best used the |
| Some thinking. Some reflecting. Some mental | | | | free time that I've gotten today?" "How has optimising |
| sharpening. Since thoughts are the seeds of actions; | | | | the free time that I've had today contribute to my |
| actions the seeds of effectiveness, if we positively | | | | advancement towards my daily goals?" This is |
| affect our thoughts, we are actually contributing to the | | | | assuming that you have targets, objectives or goals |
| effectiveness of our actions later, even if but a little bit. | | | | for the day in the first place. "How can I further |
| If you have a few seconds of free time, say, while | | | | optimise the time that I have tomorrow than today?" |
| you're waiting for a very resource-intensive computer | | | | Think up some more questions of your own. That's the |
| application to load (especially on a slow system), you | | | | beauty of this Effective Questioning technique. You |
| can mentally determine what it is you want to do with | | | | have the power and the independence to create your |
| that application beforehand; that is, if it involves your | | | | own Meta-Questions, rather than be spoon-fed by a |
| work-related stuff. If you have a window of a few | | | | "guru" or motivational "expert" who might not practise |
| minutes of free time, for instance, while you're in the | | | | what he's preaching in the first place. Next time, if you |
| bathroom (under the shower or on the toilet seat), you | | | | catch yourself or your friends saying something along |
| can do some mental relaxation and focusing exercises | | | | the lines of, "So much to do, so little time!", stop, and |
| to un-clutter your thoughts and clear your mind for that | | | | ask (aloud or to yourself), "Oh really?" However, you |
| day. Believe it or not, the bathroom is one of the best | | | | may need to balance this new habit of time |
| places to relax yourself both physically and mentally | | | | optimisation from time to time. If you find that you're |
| (not spiritually), next to your bed! The key here is to | | | | being increasingly stressed out by the piles upon piles |
| find a way - always find a way - to productively and | | | | of tasks, things and activities that you have for a day, |
| fruitfully spend the few seconds or minutes of spare | | | | stop and give yourself a breather or two. Even the act |
| time that we get - no matter how short it is. If you're in | | | | of pausing and giving yourself a break is in itself an act |
| the middle of a mental re-programming routine; | | | | of optimising the time that you have. But, like on the |
| perhaps using affirmations, self-talk, or best, | | | | other hand, don't do this (relaxing) too much either! |
| Meta-Questions, you may find that a brief session of | | | | Amazing! FREE e-Book Reveals How You Can Wipe |
| self-talk, affirmations or Effective Meta-Questioning | | | | Out All Your Limits & Achieve Your Inherent Unlimited |
| during that period is very useful. Squeeze that in. Do | | | | Potential For Wealth & Success In Only 60 Seconds! |
| you, like thousands, or perhaps, millions of people all | | | | |