Slow And Steady Win The Race

I live in a world where you have to be smart and quick to be able to meet up or catch up on an opportunity. Slowing down is like giving up or waiting for a miracle to happen. There have been many instances where I had to make a quick decision or lose out completely.

Well, let me start by introducing myself. My name is Kelechi. I studied history at the university and ended up being a teacher. Being a teacher is nothing bad but there is a societal stigma that comes with teaching. In our part of the world, teachers are seen as the broke guys. In fact, only folks who have not been able to get a good job with banking, engineering, manufacturing or any other lucrative firm find their way into the teaching profession.

As a teacher, your life is stereotyped to a timetable that you must follow judiciously and you must fulfill the scheme of work that has been stipulated per time. Here, there is nothing like slowing it down. You have to follow up, bumper to bumper. Unfortunately, I worked in this teaching profession for over twenty years before throwing in the towel.

In the space of three months, I have moved from one job to another in the bud of trying to find a balance. What I have come to see or noticed is that unless you create a style of slowing down your pace, you will be used by humans. With my one month experience in a microfinance bank, another one month experience with a logistic firm, there is no slowing down.

Whereas, in my new job, as an administrative officer, I resume work by 9:00am, in a place with low traffic matters, and less work to do and higher pay. I find out that what even earns you more money isn't much work. For the past twenty years, I have worked out myself in the teaching line with far less pay. But here I am just doing data collection at my own pace and earning more.

On the other hand, I found out that the idea that you have to fasten up your act if you must meet up financial obligations is not necessary. Little wonder the wise saying:

Slow and steady, wins the race.

Another thing is that I have got enough time to sleep and rest my head. Health is wealth in the long run. I do not have to unduly overwork myself to get results. I'd just do one important thing at a time, simple.
Interestingly, no one is ordering me around. My immediate boss relies on me for updates on his routines and appointments. I guess that is the hardest thing about my new job. Despite that it comes with a huge pension arrangement and a thirteenth-month salary, health insurance scheme, wardrobe allowance and inconvenience allowance for any duty you have to carry out outside your area if jurisdiction made it even more interesting.

I know that time is precious. Yes! I ensure to do whatever I need to do within a time frame. But one thing I do to maximize productivity is to minimize my engagement in stuff that is not relevant to me and the tasks that I have to do.

All along, my sufferings as a teacher have been that I do not maximise my time. Slowing down on your routine is embedded in the time setting. Create a to-do list with a time tag. This helps you to meet set goals within a time frame. As soon as that is achieved, you can have enough time to reflect on your successes and how to maximise productivity. And if otherwise, you will learn to work efficiently to record a success.

Generally speaking. There is no time.in this life that work will not be available or remaining. There will always be work to do but life is only one and has no duplicate. Therefore, despite all out schedules, let's always look back and enough time for ourselves. That is what will matter in the end.

In this context, peace of mind is the greatest wealth a man can ever possess. Keep your peace jealously and never compete with anyone.

•Images are mine