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Scraps of time

  • Published
  • By Col. Glenn Yap
  • 87th Medical Group commander
McGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. --  Two of the sayings I distinctly remember hearing while in school and still try to follow today are from two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Douglas Freeman. He stated that, "The difference between mediocrity and distinction in many a professional career is the organization of your time." As a follow on, he also said scraps of time "may seem so trivial they are not worth saving, but the wise use of them may make all the difference between drudgery and happiness, between existence and a career." 

In school, I took advantage of my scraps of time by reading my notes or textbooks in the 15 minutes between classes. It was amazing how much time this saved me studying the day before exams. Now one of the ways I take advantage of my scraps of time is reading and answering e-mails while I wait in line to get my hair cut, waiting to get on my next flight, and even while I'm waiting for a meeting to start. I'm not saying that you need to be doing something every moment of your time. It is also very important to socialize with your colleagues at work and with friends when you're off-duty. This builds camaraderie, leads to more effective teamwork and lasting friendships. If we are honest with ourselves and examine what we do every day, most of us would find that we do waste our scraps of time throughout the day. From socializing too much to perhaps just being lazy and not moving fast enough, I bet all of us could find at least 30-60 minutes a day that we could use to be more productive at work. 

Better utilizing your scraps of time also applies to personal lives. Many people feel like there is not enough time in the day to take care of everything. From taking your children to after-school functions to just finding enough time to clean the house, some days it seems impossible to get everything done. I truly believe we also have many scraps of time in our personal lives that we can better utilize. It could be as simple as cleaning the kitchen while you brew your coffee in the morning or checking e-mail or what came in the mail while you're eating breakfast. What I personally need to start doing more is performing sit-ups and push-ups during commercials while I watch TV. I believe taking care of your personal and family lives are key to helping you become more successful in your professional career. When your personal life is in order, you can fully concentrate on executing the mission. 

The bottom-line is that one key to be more successful in both our professional and personal lives is to find those scraps of time in our daily lives and find ways to better utilize those moments.