MONDAY MUSINGS SEASON 2 - EPISODE 374
13th July
Effective Time Management
Of letters, I am the letter A, and among compound words, I am the dual compound (dwandva). I am also inexhaustible time, and of creators, I am Brahma. (Bhagavad Gits 10.33)
Time is limited as well as inexhaustible and thus precious, as we have seen in the previous two episodes.
VIGNESH M G shared feedback about the previous episode of #MondayMusings and it is worth mentioning here.
“Thank you for yet another inspiring edition of Monday Musings.
The story of Soichiro Honda is a powerful reminder that setbacks are not roadblocks but stepping stones to success.
His unwavering determination in the face of rejection, war, natural disasters, and resource shortages beautifully illustrates the Bhagavad Gita's message that failures are often an inseparable part of meaningful endeavors.
His journey reinforces the importance of resilience, adaptability, and perseverance”
Wise guru Chanakya said, “The world’s biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman, and the most powerful weapon is time.”
Arthasasthra gives detailed account of how a king should allocate his time as a daily routine. He suggests allocation of time for priorities, precursor to the measure of ‘urgency’ of actions.
सर्वं आत्ययिकं कार्यं शृणुयान्नातिपातयेत् ।। ०१.१९.३०अ ब ।।
कृच्छ्र-साध्यं अतिक्रान्तं असाध्यं वा अभिजायते ।। ०१.१९.३०च्द् ।।)
Those which have been getting delayed for long, must be prioritised and seen to the end, lest the matters fester and get out of hand. Take it on and get it done, before it comes to bite you in the back!
#EisenhowerMatrix
Time Management is not just about efficiency, i.e., doing more in less time, but all about effectiveness, i.e., making your precious time more effective. The Eisenhower Matrix is a useful tool for managing time effectively. What is Eisenhower Matrix?
The Eisenhower Matrix, also referred to as Urgent-Important Matrix, helps you decide on and prioritize tasks by urgency and importance. How did it come about?
Dwight D. Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States from 1953 until 1961. Before becoming President, he served as a general in the United States Army and as the Allied Forces Supreme Commander during World War II. He also later became NATO's first supreme commander. Dwight had to make tough decisions continuously about which of the many tasks he should focus on each day. This finally led him to invent the world-famous Eisenhower principle.
His concept is to divide our daily time into four types of activities based on two attributes, Urgency and Importance.
How to distinguish between urgent and important tasks?
Urgent and important may seem like similar words, but the difference is crucial. Urgent tasks require your immediate attention. When something is urgent, it must be done now, and there are clear consequences if you don’t complete these tasks within a certain timeline. These are tasks you can’t avoid, and the longer you delay these tasks, the more stress you’ll likely experience,
Examples of urgent tasks include submitting a report to the client, fixing an issue, etc.
Important tasks may not require immediate attention, but these tasks help you achieve your long-term goals. Just because these tasks are less urgent doesn’t mean they don’t matter. You’ll need to plan these tasks thoughtfully so you can use your resources efficiently.
Examples of important tasks may include building the vision & mission, decision on the strategy, etc.
Once you know how to distinguish between urgent and important tasks, you can begin separating your tasks into the four quadrants of the Eisenhower Matrix.
The four quadrants of the Eisenhower Matrix
A long to-do list can feel overwhelming, but the goal of Eisenhower Method is to segregate the long list and decide on the course of action based on the category and not just on the ‘urgency’
You have to wait for the next episode of #MondayMusings to learn the four quadrants of Eisenhower model.
___________________________________________________________________
#PositiveNewsPage
Adapted from newindianexpress.com
Retirement might have meant slowing down for many, but for 72-year-old KG Palani, a former electrical supervisor at the Kalpakkam nuclear power plant, it has become an exciting new mission.
He dedicates his time to teaching children about the wisdom in the Tirukkural couplets. He hopes to inspire them to become thoughtful individuals and contribute positively to society.
His passion began during his time in government school in Sathuvachari (Vellore), where he was fortunate to have exceptional Tamil teachers who introduced him to the works of great Tamil poets.
After retiring in 2018, Palani moved back to Thaiyur near Kelambakkam, where he had previously bought land. However, it didn’t take long for him to realise he needed a sense of purpose in his newfound free time. Determined to make a difference, Palani began visiting parents in his neighbourhood to discuss the importance of teaching Tamil to their children. He encouraged them to send their kids to learn the Tirukkural.
Facing various challenges while working alone led him to establish the Thiruvalluvar Kalvi Mandram in 2018. Since then, he has been training students from local government schools to participate in the annual Tirukkural Recitation and Memorisation Competition organised by the Tamil Development Department. His journey started modestly with just two students in his first year, both of whom won prizes. Since then, the programme has flourished.
Over the last seven years, 44 of his students have won prizes at the state-level competition, with 19 awards earned just last year.
He also takes time to celebrate his students’ achievements each year by organising a one-kilometre procession through the neighbourhood, bringing together parents, teachers, and residents to share in the joy of their successes. Palani’s efforts didn’t stop there. He is now the chief instructor of the World Thirukkural Mutrothal Iyakkam.
He trains instructors from across Tamil Nadu, who then teach other students in preparation for various Tirukkural recitation competitions. His dedication was recognised by the state government with an award during the silver jubilee celebrations of the Thiruvalluvar competition held in Kanniyakumari in 2024. Palani is also a strong advocate for improving government schools in his area.
He serves on the management committees of both the boys’ and girls’ higher secondary schools, contributing from his pension towards their repairs and raising funds for additional needs. Now, Palani dreams of introducing this literary treasure to even younger children. “I want to reach out to those who have yet to attend school with the Tirukkural,” he said.
“I plan to approach Mylswamy Annadurai, head of the committee that designs the curriculum, to suggest adding many lessons from the Tirukkural into primary education in ways that children can easily grasp.”
For Palani, retirement has become much more than a second innings. It is a chance to pass on a priceless literary legacy to the next generation, one couplet, one classroom, and one child at a time.
________________________________________________________________________
Conceived, compiled and posted as a weekly motivational newsletter #MondayMusings every Monday by Jaganathan T (www.authorjaganathan.com)
________________________________________________________________________
PROMOTIONS
