Why time management is linked to progress

Time is immemorial and waits for none. Back in early seventies, our English professor used to teach us importance of time. We saw him in time every time and he wanted same discipline from us. He used to wonder why he was punishing us even for one minute late. He was actually preparing us for life lessons. It helped me in my professional career which went on to reach top positions with strict personal discipline. No one can vouch that someone waited for me in my entire career. My motto remained 'Every time on time'.

During my 40 odd years of professional career, I had made it a thumb rule to be in time every time. I waited upon everyone right from the person at lowest rung of hierarchy and also for who were at the top of it. But I made sure that I didn't change my habit. In my initial years at Bombay in the early eighties, in order to survive in the meagre salary, I was doing part time freelance film journalism. In those days a cover story earned me two hundred bucks and an interview would earn me one hundred and fifty bucks.

I used to stay at King's Circle in shared accommodation. On Sunday morning, I set out for Film-City, in Dindoshi , based on my initial talk with late actress Smita Patil. It was not confirmed by her. When I approached her, she gave me a lesson of life. She said you must value time, more than her than mine. She said she hate to wait people on her and certainly don't want people like me who are struggling to survive lose money on transportation. She had insisted on confirming before coming to meet her. Back then people were honest to admit the real reasons for not keeping times as there were no excuses like 'caught up in the traffic' 'my maid had not come' and ' trains are running late'. Time is not elastic, neither it expands. No one can pass the time but time passes us all.

In one of my visits to Singapore, we took sightseeing tour for the day. The guide was a 65- year -old lady. On the first stop she announced that we should realign our watches with her so that there is no confusion about time. She told us to be back exactly after fifteen minutes or else they would miss the bus. She said she would love to wait for latecomers but would never punish people who had come on time. In the West and in many Asian countries I have seen people don't like to come on time but before the time.

No excuses and only apologies, if it is acceptable. Four decades of my corporate experience, I found that problem lies with lower ranks more than with the higher ranks. All kind of excuses are bandied about from traffic to sick wife and child.

According to my experience that why many remain stuck at lower positions, one of the prominent reasons is being disrespectful to time. Once they start respecting time, they realise that they can do many things. Because between Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Elon Musk and all of us have only 24 hours to work and perform.