After I saw and it’s more popular on the internet. One of the Japan’s railway officer apologize for a late arrival to the public. Not a huge gap of time he missed. 2 minutes. That is 120 seconds. I shared with my people. It wasn’t a damn serious thing. Comments popped like “It doesn’t have to be this serious.” “In India, it takes ages to adopt this behavior.” Many didn’t realize it’s not about an individual behavior. A part of social behavior that drives in and around everyone.
Information is today’s virus. It spreads faster, connected and well informed. Things we want to know about, hear, listen, speak, post, write. But the same wealth derailing our behavior? In my case yes it is. My behavior and habits cost me 16 hours of time, important phone calls, schedules, writing. EOD, it cost a total 4K INR for a minute of a careless decision.
“One decision may flip your entire life upside down and take you for a ride.”
Cost Of A Wrong Decision
Sun fries Gurgaon city at 45 degrees. I was in the same city. I got a call in the mid-noon before lunch 11.30 AM says “Need to travel to Bangalore for an official work.” I decided not to travel by midday and I planned to leave early in the morning by around 7 AM. By the time I reach B’lore the weather will hold up with 26 degrees. 26 is still hot but compared to other cities in India. B’lore is heaven.
Planned. Reached my room and packed every one of my things into two backpacks. I got plenty of time to travel. So I hit PUBG, unfortunately, I died at #4. I said fuck this, I’m sleeping. My inner voice said you should wake up at 4 AM to reach Delhi airport to catch the flight at 7.05 AM. Fast forward I reached the airport and checked in with my backpack. I don’t have to stand in a queue for boarding, I was carrying only backpacks. Cleared security. Heading towards the gate to catch the flight. Here comes a decision which took me for a spin.
Wait, I have two minds before heading towards the gate. The clock says 6.35 AM. For the sake of info, I smoke. Mind says “Let’s have a smoke and catch the flight.” “You have time. They won’t take the flight without calling your name.” I got voices backed to support smoking. I got only 30 mins left. The boarding pass said you have to check in before 25 mins. I still have 5 mins.
I said screw this I’m going to smoke and catch the flight. Had a splendid smoke with other fellow smokers. Heading straight towards the gate. As you guessed “There’s a Situation alert.” The moment I reached the gate, the entire waiting area was empty. I had glitch running in my mind that something is wrong.
Well, I missed the flight. When I checked the guy who helps people to board said: “Sir, Unfortunately, you missed the flight.” I checked the time and I was 5 mins late which is 7.05 AM. For the record in Indian time management history. The public transport system, Flight was on time and I was a 5 minute late. Boom.
It All Starts From A Meeting Room
When I sit in a meeting room on right time as the invite says or my calendar says after I learned the value of time and other’s time. I never saw a single person in the meeting room arrive at the mentioned or planned time. This is my experience so far with the companies I have worked with.
Sometimes if you arrive on time for the meeting and no one shows up for an average time of 15 mins. You have to go and remind ’em at the desk or call ’em. The response you get is like “Oh, you came early.?” If you are a junior might expect this “Can you reschedule at sometime by today or tomorrow?”
Then for the fuck sake, I don’t why this guy accepted the meeting invite which he couldn’t make it at the right time. He not only skips a meeting but also creating a bad attitude in the name of the company and the position he serves. The junior learn this attitude and passes on like an infected torch like wherever he goes. This behavior of one is spoiling the other and the entire society.
We are ready to point out the government for everything. Because of a bad time management of mine, I learned a lesson in a meeting. From then I was sniper view about Time and don’t trust me, do it yourself and try. It opens heck of magic.
- “Discipline Gives freedom.”
The Behavioral Change.
You see one guy set a behavior for another. Even though the kid is ready or not ready to take the behavior. He learns from a person who has to set an example. That’s a bad example. I changed my habits and my behavior towards time management.
I was the laziest in the entire humankind. The laziest person hard to find on this planet. When my attitude towards my habit changed, everything followed. I was more active, disciplined and well managed. For all these years I thought managing is for the ones who fuck around money. I was like I need a life and I’m not running behind management. So called creative people’s block space of time management.
Thank god, I realized soon and changed. There’s a saying goes back in my town “A street dog will go back to the street, at any cost.” Like my mind said to me at the last minute to catch the flight. Here I am writing this post to everyone and for myself.
Man time is everything whether it gives you wealth, freedom, space or to lurk around. Time is one hell of a thing that can bring possibilities. I didn’t realize the value of time until a minute whopped my ass.
Time Grants Things
After these behavior and habit changes took me for a spin and I started to manage better. l was happy at myself with the changes I made in the last 6 months. But again back to the loop. I ain’t going to give up. Now I’m more focused on time and it’s value.
Time gave me the space to be a better writer. I never missed to write on the day I decided to write for every week. I never skipped reading which scheduled before. Now for the funny part, the guy once find hard to move away from his bed now scheduling a week on Sundays to use the time, plan and manage better. Lock and load.
I have a military mindset towards my time. When you see something as an enemy you’ll stay alert and fight it back. A trick works for me. Time is an enemy for me. It outruns.
List of Costs:
- 14 hours of tireless day carrying two 9 KG backpacks.
- Restless mind, painful body.
- Missed important calls.
- 4 hours of bus journey from airport to B’lore city. 5PM-9PM
- Airport food(Which is costly than a normal one.) 1.5K INR
- Ticket redeem for the next flight. 2.5K INR
If I could over rule my decision and gave importance to time in the airport..Well see you in the next writing.
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