Making the most of time

It was one of those times when one of your kids holds up a mirror for you to see yourself the way they do.  We were on our way to the airport for one of our trips to see family back in Manitoba.  Rather than leave the van at the airport we asked Angie to drive us to departures.  Then out of the blue, this; “You and Mom are always doing something. I never see you just doing nothing. When I grow up I want to be like that.” Now to be sure, there’s lots of people who would take issue with that. Even I do sometimes.  Relaxation is not only an art, it’s a necessity.  But time is, after all the most precious resource given to us and all of us only have so much of it to invest here on this side of eternity.

How to “do” time is something that we can learn from those around us.  I did from my Dad.  Well I remember him saying, “never start the week without knowing what you what to do in it.” This from a man who used to find things that were lost in his dreams.  Even his dreams were measured opportunities to get the day done and to solve its myriad of problems. Another one of his mottos was, “never come back empty handed when you’re going somewhere with something.”  He raised eight of us on the farm before the time when mechanization made manual labor unpopular.  We learned how to work the old fashioned way when “many hands makes light work.”  So it was important that every step counted and that it was executed according to a plan and a purpose.

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So I sit here at 6:30 in the morning waiting for the coffee to brew with time on my hands.  I got the emails and mock up drawings off last night yet before I went to bed so that I could get into the studio for a full day before deliveries into Vancouver start at 4:00 pm.  What better time to write a quick blog.  We are headed into the busy season of the year when it seems everyone wants to throw a year end party.  Two people called yesterday wanting to arrange their tree lighting and winter festival parties in November.  Can you believe it? We’re at that time of the year again.  I was hoping for a few more sunny days of summer.  Forget vacation and relaxation, it’s time for Christmas!

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I wrote a couple of weeks ago that we are looking for someone to “join the team here at Ice Decor.”  We’re always just one phone call away from panic and this past week has been no exception.  If ever there was a time when we have to be efficient and use every minute wisely it’s now.  I’ll share more about particulars of this “panic” later on.  For now, it would be interesting if we could count how many steps of the thousands we take every day are actually productive and purpose driven steps. This takes effort and focus.  Am I thinking ahead while doing something so that I not only don’t have to stop and waste time planning for the next? Watch a good conductor sometime.  His/her baton is always a step ahead of the orchestra.  They’re ahead of the game, ensuring that each bar in the score is seamlessly integrated and the whole musical piece is flowing uninterrupted.  The same is true in the studio. Each action is seamlessly integrated with the previous one and the one that follows ensuring that each minute and each hour is accomplishing the task efficiently.  But only if I’m really “on task,” thinking actively and energetically about what I’m doing and where it’s taking me.  I love it.  ‘

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I typically set goals each day.  A good day is when I accomplish those goals.  But a better day is when I not only accomplish those goals but when I go above and beyond what I thought I would get done.  I even sleep better when that’s the case.  Just last night I heard someone tell of a woman who is 101 years old.  That’s when most people are contemplating eternity if not outright wishing it was all over.  Not her.  She is actively wondering about whether she is accomplishing what she was put on this earth for and wanting to get on with it.  WOW!  That’s making the most of time.  I want to be like that.

Thanks for reading! Until next time… #theicemen