Time Management
Another lesson I have been working on with the students is one of time management. It is such an important concept to become aware of in lieu of reaching our goals.
For starters I point out that there are 168 hours in a week. If we are getting a healthy amount of sleep per day you have about 112 hours of time spent awake. Kids are in school around 35 hours a week, adults may be working a 40 hour week, bathroom 5.5 hours, eating 9 hours, traveling perhaps 10.5 hours, kids have their homework maybe about 6 hours a week, etc. etc. Of course, these approximations are averages and may vary but the bottom line is that we end up with somewhere around 30 - 40 hours a week of 'free time'. I pointed out to the younger students that they may have to spend time doing what their parents or others in the home are doing and that may cut into their time. And we as adults realize especially if we are parents that much if not all of our free time can be spent meeting others needs...
Ultimately, what I want my students to start doing is to keep track of how they are spending their 'free time' in an effort to be able to make a true assessment if this time is being spent in conjunction with their own goals which they have themselves set out to accomplish. For instance if they have academic goals, how much extra time are they putting into studying or even just reading (reading is to the mind what lifting is to the muscle), if it is athletic goals how much time are they putting into practicing or exercising? Furthermore, those of us who have spiritual goals, how much time are we spending using the tools which God gives us such as prayer? Family or marriage goals, quality time spent with loved ones?
In conclusion, setting goals, writing them down, sharing them and then budgeting our time wisely towards these goals in an honest manner (self honestly in this case) are important traits that we can gain in an effort to reaching the aforementioned goals.
I have pointed out to the students that many years from now when we are nearer to the end of our life, we will not wish we played one more hour of video games or watching TV but we will do anything to have spent some more time with loved ones or if the time we felt we had so much of suddenly vanishes we may realize we could have used it along with our talent and treasure in perhaps better ways!