The Plumber!

One of the skills we all need to master today is plumbing! Have you ever thought of the number of “blocks” we have in our lives? Have you ever wondered who creates those blocks? Did it come to your mind that the majority of blocks in people lives are actually created by people themselves .. So what do we do when we have a block at home? We call the plumber, right?!!! So here we are with a new skill we all need to master nowadays … welcome to a life plumbing lesson!

The dilemma

Day after day our lives are becoming more complex than ever. Technology is driving the majority of people (and not the opposite), people are losing the sense of being human at a very high speed, and we all have to deal today with complex, multidimensional projects .. isn’t that correct?

I always find it funny when I still hear people speaking about work-life balance … such a funny term to use, when life alone is becoming too complex to handle on its own, then some people speak about balancing it with work .. We actually need life balance, then work balance, then we can talk about balancing both .. don’t you feel this deep from within?

Let me give you an example .. on week ends or vacations, do you do what you plan to do? probably not … why? because you get dragged in so many unplanned “events” or “blocks” in life .. Like friends / neighbors popping in your schedule, the need for maintenance / urgent popping matters? Health issues? Psychological need for relaxation? ….etc, so even when we are not at work, we don’t quite balance life .. Some people might argue that this is because of work load, and this is the chicken-egg debate! The fact remains that we all need to balance life before we look at balancing work .. So where do we start?

The art of piping!

One of the most complex building operations is piping. Technically expert engineers and plumbers need to plan ahead massively .. Where is the source of water / energy, how long will be the pipes, how to maintain pressure, how to avoid pipes’ damage, how to ensure access if leak / block occurs ..etc, and so many little things to think about ..

Now reflect this on our lives .. what is the main source of power / water in our lives? It is simply “TIME” .. without it, we have nothing! Now look at the way we “pipe” time in our lives .. is it planned piping? or amateur (exposed / over the wall) piping? or maybe some people don’t have pipes at all, and they leave their resources out in the air, like an open pool, exposed to evaporation, pollution and for others to steal it .. isn’t that correct?

So the first step in piping, is having a layout of your life .. think about where you wish to spend time, how long, and what are the desired outcomes? How much energy (pressure) you wish to have is also important, as selecting the right time slot (prime time) is important for the outcome to be achieved.

Managing the leaks

Now once the piping is done, you will face leaks .. meetings that extend more than planned .. traffic that takes a lot more than planned from your time and nerves .. people who will pop in without plan to disturb you and cause more blocks, that eventually will lead to leaks .. etc … And here is where you will need your technical plumbing skills! Roll up your sleeves and get ready to:

1. Learn the art of saying “NO” … stop the leak immediately and believe from deep inside that you are not rejecting the other, but protecting your own resource.. “Time”
2. Dip your hands in the waste .. find the block and clear it! If your plans don’t go as you wish, then you really need to explore the reason behind the block .. what happens in many cases that people don’t explore, and therefore, they don’t develop a way to clear the block, so it happens again and again..

Now wash your hands!

Never feel guilty when you are protecting your most important asset in life .. “Time” .. this is an art the majority of people are missing all through their lives, and they only remember this when it is time to go .. We always hear the statement “I wish I could have spent more time doing ……..”

Now part of “cleaning up” is removing toxic people from your life .. Those who “block” your way psychologically … the ones who bring negative vibes, demotivate you or waste your time for their own benefit (and believe me, those are a lot nowadays). Learning to “let go” those people is key for staying fresh and ready for opportunities coming up ahead.

Future generations

We all have the responsibility of teaching future generations to plumb! Life will definitely get more and more complex in the future and one of the most important skills that future leaders need to learn is time management, prioritization and plumbing their way through!

The idea of planning and having a blueprint for our lives is not a new one .. it is one of those “theoretical” learning that we enjoy reading about, but we forget (or have too little energy) to implement ..

Learn to plumb today, stop the leak in your life and enjoy the remaining time in your life!

Written by:

Engagement Expert, International Speaker & Pragmatic researcher