Time Management is a proverbial concept of keeping things in order, making sure that time is allocated accordingly. The trouble is most often than not running a rigid schedule dehumanizes us.

Simula nung nag-balik nursing si maan lagi nyang complain kinakapos sya sa oras sa trabaho, na kesyo problema nya e time-management, na kesyo wala syang oras para magpahinga at mag-break. Sabi ko hindi pwede yan, kahit gaano ka-komplikado ang isang case ng isang pasyente kelangan nyang magpa-hinga. Anyhow lagi nyang pinipilit na wala daw syang time management. So one day sinabi ko sa kanya i-itemize nya lahat ng tasks nya at lagyan nya ng ETA. Tapos at the end of each task i-log nya kung gano nya katagal ginawa. Tapos compare nya sa ETA nya. And guess what? Di nya nagawa, bakit kanyo? pano ba naman, bago nya matapos yong mga naka-listang task, me bagong task na naman na susulpot, so anong choice nya? di gawin nya yong immediate task tapos nag-dadasal na lang sya na sana magkaroon sya ng extrang oras na tapusin yong naka -pila nya later on. Kaya hayon, matatapos na shift nya di pa rin nya nagagawa lahat ng kelangan nyang gawin. And being a model girl scout, she feels bad, ba’t di daw nya nagagawa lahat ng kelangang gawin, e sabi ko nga, come on dahling di mo na kasalanan yon, dapat kung sino man ang task master nyo dapat ayusin nya task assingments nyo, wala kang problema sa time management yong manager o or visor ang meron.

Anyhow this is but one example of how our society has become, too much emphasis has been placed on multi-tasking, maximizing resources and being “efficient”. But at to what expense? we’ve had acquintances who are nurses too, who’d have all the material wealth they could get (big ass houses, fancy cars, bling-bling and the likes) but are living dull uninteresting lives, pano imbes na mag-pahinga sa day off ayon naglalagare sa ibang ospital, kaya most of the time empty yong mga malalaking bahay nila tapos yong mga anak nila catathonic o kaya rebellious.

Actually, I too am guilty of being a multi-tasking freak, but it comes with the territory (nasa computer industry po ako) which is a major contention between me and maan. But I’m trying my best to slow down, good thing I’m working from home, I have my daughter yana around. She always reminds me to take it easy, maglaru muna daw kami, although minsan napapadami ang laru at nakakalimutan ko obligasyon ko sa mga cliente namin.

I am no expert when it comes to time management nor do I claim to master how to make ones life better but I do know this, oftentimes in our haste to make things better for the ones we love we end up neglecting them thinking its for their own good (how twisted is that). And in our quest to be better and bigger we no longer appreciate what is small and simple. We have to slowdown for own sake and the ones we love.

Tumatanda na nga talaga ako, 10 yrs ago the mere thought of slowing down sent chills down my spine, back then ang dami kong gustong gawin, guess getting older, and having a kid puts things into perspective. I’m trying my best to slow down and to start really appreciating what I have and have not.

O sya pano, hanggang sa muli.

- Marius