Life is just flying by, my goals aren’t being achieved at the rate they used to. What happened? Yes, it is social media. It is making us too distracted, affecting our quality of work output and rate of work produced. How can I/we change that? It is not others, it is us. I have to sort myself out first.

I’ve always been very interested in Time Management. But honestly, I’m finding it hard to manage my time now. One day begins, and within minutes, its’ over. In this way, the last day of my life will arrive, and then I’ll feel, ‘where did my time go?’ All those years that God/Allah gave me, where did it all go?

Who took my life?

I had planned to do so many things in this life. Somehow suddenly all the time has gone. So, who took my life?

At sixty-eight I’m looking back, and am making a list of all that’s been done in these years. Well, not bad. Lots did get done. But a lot didn’t. Well, that’s’ life.

Biggest current problem

I guess, the biggest problem is lack of focus due to too much diversion. Especially social media in my case. Once I open my Instagram on my phone, then if it is for a minutes…. It will be at least after an hour that I become aware of my own surroundings again. Is it the same with you too?

Delete apps and use airplane mode more often

Then, I wonder where the time went. So, the only answer is to delete the apps. So, I did that with Tik Tok and with LinkedIn, I mean, I’m not that active on LinkedIn, also not so in X.

I mean there is only so much that you can do, and only so many places that you can be in.

When you start work, put the phone on airplane mode. The world can wait. Your work is important.

The time factor

Do you know if I give ten minutes of my time to one activity daily? It’ll take 3650 minutes in a year. So, if I’m giving two solid hours to it daily, I’m giving, 365×2=730 ; 43800 minutes a year in a year. Can you believe it? Most of us know, that we aren’t just spending 2 hours a day on social media, it is much more. (I’ve recently brought down my average to 5 hours!)

Wait a minute – lots of good deeds

It isn’t all bad news. You and I are doing a lot of useful stuff too. For instance, sharing information. Most important of all, doing the charity work. As I write, we collected over a million rupees for open heart surgery of a 17-year-old Saher in Ramzan. Just now I’ve received the call from hospital, saying she is now been discharged from hospital. All because of social media, a very underprivileged person was able to get best treatment.

How to be more focused

Well, so back to our current issue. The problem of not having enough output. Is this the problem in your life too? We all behave as if all those great persons in the world had only that work to do, none of the stuff we face. Well, they had no electricity, most of them, worked with slow mobility and what not. We have so many more facilities now. So, more reason for us to achieve more now.

It is our lack of focus is keeping us off track. So, how to stay on track? By removing all those diversions; keep the out of our range.

Realize that life won’t be for long

Life is precious, because it is limited. More so, as I have no idea when the great whistle will blow. More reason, for me to do the important things first.

Let us make that ‘to do’ list now

See it first thing in the morning, and do at least one thing on it. Start the work for it. I know it won’t be done in a day, but only when you start, will it get done ultimately!

Keep trying

Send good messages to yourself. ‘You can do it!’ Tell yourself ‘this is just a piece of cake for you.’ Remember, previous accomplishments, and encourage yourself.

Meanwhile, stay blessed, inspite of this war which might be growing in WW3.

Let’s hope it doesn’t.