Traffic.
If you live within a 50 km radius of any city in Africa, it is probably part of your daily life. According to eNatis.com, 59 198 cars made their maiden voyage onto the clogged highways of South Africa. That’s over 266 km more road inhabited in one month!
This stop-start pilgrimage towards work or home has become normal – an accepted evil. But have you ever wondered what you could be doing instead of sitting on a strip of tar watching the car in front of you inch forwards?
In 2011 I had the privilege of travelling to London, where I witnessed a completely different take on transport. The Underground tube system is not only dependable – with trains showing up every two minutes – but convenient. All of a sudden reaching a destination was not a stress or a variable calculation. I could focus solely on my goals and make every moment of my trip count. This raised a question that I haven’t been able to shake. One that has changed how I live: What value do I place on the time I have?
The busier you get, the more valuable time becomes. Time is no respecter of person. No matter how ambitious, powerful or committed you are, a day is still 24 hours long. That means the CEO and the Celebrity have been dealt the same card as I have. The only difference is that their time is of higher value compared to mine.
Ever since my London epiphany, time has become my currency. It is the underlying limitation that can either build or erode our lives. A higher value on time means people accomplish more at work, time with family is more meaningful and a day off is truly used for rest.
I am very aware that there is no quick fix for our diseased roads – and in many ways I am thankful for this problem, because it has shown me a greater deficiency – the value placed on our time. The less time we have to spend, the more we need to make sure we are making a difference with what we have.
Many have said it is “Africa’s time”. But for Africa to truly have its moment, we as Africans need to truly look at how we value our time. I look forward to the day when ‘African time’ is no longer an excuse. I believe there is no limit to what Africa can achieve if we are willing to honestly assess what we are doing with the days we have left.
Are you struggling to make the most of the time you have at work or with family? Have you truly been able to find peace in the growing craziness of life? Find out how you can add value to every part of your life by clicking the link below.