Introducing Dan Hardy’s Theory of Time…

Our writer reflects on what he has learned after 12 months at the helm of ASEL…

Twelve months in! How did that happen?

However, the calendar is undeniably correct… It is now 12 months since I took over at the helm of ASEL.

Inevitably the first anniversary is a time for introspection. To reflect on what one has achieved in the allotted time. And when thinking about what to write this week, I must confess that my first thought was to head in the direction of a list of achievements. And there have been a few milestones…

There has been the paradigm shift in the business from closed culture and secrets to openness and transparency. Massive consultations undertaken with colleagues, customers and partners to understand where we are before we could chart how we would get to where we want to be.

A rewriting of our mission statements, a reshaping of our core values and a revamp of our business plan.

And not to mention the recruitment drives and process improvements that we have put in place to get from where we are to where we want to be.

These developments are allowing us to continue to win new business at pace, especially when turning risk management from a cost to an income generator for retailers (ask me for details if interested).

However, I have decided against a Dan Hardy introspective (did I hear “amen to that!”) and instead, perhaps controversially, chosen to focus not on what has happened but the time during which it has happened in. The time shared by us all, and so relevant but not specific to my own individual world.

Hopefully, what follows will challenge and inspire – not a bad thing to do on an anniversary I would suggest. So here goes. Hardy’s theory of time…

First of all, I have noted that there is a big difference between things that take a long time to do vs. things that take a long time to happen.

Things that take a while to do include stuff like writing a report, decorating your home or travelling the world. However, in the scheme of things they do not take a long while to happen.

However, the most important things require a large amount of time to happen. They just do. And that is perhaps why they are the most valuable attributes in a person, team or business…

Wisdom

The older I get, the more I realise how wrong I was!

Even though I used to think that I had it all figured out – that I had found the ultimate truths and had the right perspectives – now I’m constantly reshaping my view of reality, as I learn and test new things with an open mind.

I don’t know exactly what wisdom is, but I definitely don’t have all the answers. And I am sure that wisdom takes a long time to find. So, to acquire wisdom I try to listen more than I speak, to give more than I take and to do more than I have said I would do.

Talent/Expertise

Let’s quash a myth. Talent and expertise are up to you, not genetics.

You can learn any new skill and become better at anything.

You probably have natural proclivities for certain stuff, but practice is still required regardless of any “leg up” courtesy of Mother Nature.

However, acquiring competence and expertise takes a long time. A long time. It’s why you trust someone with 10 years’ experience versus someone who has just started.

New Habits

Building new habits usually takes time to happen. Not as long as some of the other things, but still some time.

New habits can take an average of 66 days to acquire. It’s not easy to break old habits and build new ones, but it makes things easier. Forming new behaviours takes work and intention – and yes, time too. But it’s worth it!

Hindsight

We often don’t realise – or appreciate – the slow-moving (sometimes mundane) moments in our day-to-day life. Then suddenly we are hit by a bright lightbulb moment.

An accumulation of experiences over time may well eventually lead our brains – consciously or subconsciously – to connect the dots, and we crystalise our thinking around some amazing truth, new perspective or sudden realisation.

Hindsight and lightbulb moments require many different inputs over a long period, before they can be realised. So a rich experiential tapestry is invaluable to making breakthroughs.

The good. The bad. And the great…

I have also noticed that all time is not used to produce results of equal value. This is because of the good, the bad and the great…

Bad things that waste time.

Good things that take time.

And great things that take a little longer.

Time is the most precious commodity anyone has. And yet, we all waste it. A lot. We fritter it away on things that don’t matter, on people who don’t deserve it, and on activities that don’t bring us closer to our goals.

Time is important because we only have a set amount of it. We can’t make more time. That’s why it’s critical to use your time wisely. And make the most of every minute, because we do not know in advance how much time we have.

Three areas where time is wasted are through procrastination, failing to say “no” and a lack of focus…

‘Procrastination is the thief of time’

There are countless reasons why people procrastinate – sometimes the task is just too hard or too boring, and other times our internal resistance can be holding us back from completing it. Try not to let yourself slide into this way of thinking. Be honest with yourself and pinpoint the more important things – if something needs doing, find simple ways to do it.

Failing to say No – become a ‘time miser’

This is a challenge for many busy people – when someone asks you something it can be hard to decline, if only because we want to be nice and avoid conflict.

But you guessed it, this is a huge waste of time in the long run. If you’re worried about what will happen if you do decline, think about the consequences of saying yes. Whether it’s agreeing to go out for dinner when you’ve got a deadline, doing an extra task at work or replying to
every email you receive, thinking ahead is better than wasting your time dealing with something later on.

Focus – there is ‘no honour in multi-tasking’

Multi-tasking wastes time, because when we try to do too many things at once, we often don’t do each task very well. When we try to switch between different types of tasks, it takes time for us to get back into the ‘zone’ and focus on what needs doing.

For example, you might start writing a report but then receive a message from a friend. When you reply the report is put on hold while you chat with your friend and then when you go back to finish it. Another message comes through, and the cycle continues.

If you finish the report first and then schedule time to respond to your friend, you’ll waste less time in the long run.

So that’s it. Hardy’s theory of time. I hope you find it thought provoking and not just time consuming!