Priorities in Life

It began raining in the morning when we started to go home from the shop. Nitin and me. The quarter end as well as the year end had forced us not to take a single day holiday since start of December. That day was 1^st April. We haven’t had the strength of realizing it. Hot water bath, two cups of hot coffee, omelet bread sandwich and 24 hours’ continuous sleep. These were the only thoughts. We were in the shop, continuously active since last 5 days (and obviously 4 nights) without sleep and sometimes without food. But hunger and thirst were secondary issues. We were foot soldiers in those days – me a shop engineer and Nitin a QAC engineer.

At midnight the last of the trucks had left and even though we were relaxed after that, we decided to go early in the morning. The rest of the night we couldn’t sleep and were very highly elated but with empty head.

I told Nitin to talk with me continuously while sitting at the back of my scooter till I drop him. His home was 2 km. ahead of mine and to travel a total of only 20 km from shop via scooter was the most difficult task on that day. Nitin was not only talking with me while I was driving the scooter but also was asking me some questions and expecting the answers! That way I was also alert. I shall never forget this goodness of his throughout of my life – for even though it was raining heavily at this odd day of odd season and even though it was morning, we were having bouts of sleep so frequently that we had lost the safety feeling to judge the other vehicles’ speed and to monitor my scooter’s speed.

This incident was one of many. My children never had me when they required me the most. My wife never showed me her un-satisfaction regarding meeting her expectations. My father and mother used to tell me to exert less.

But I was two feet above ground. We all employees were. We used to co-relate everything to our hard work. Rather we used to be perversely proud of our hardships. Even though the hardships of only very few got highlighted! Real blue collar people do not have marketing skills.

What is more important?

Many years have passed since then. Technological advances have revolutionized many old concepts. Job manufacturing cycle time is reduced to 1 month from 3 months or 10 second from 3 minutes. But astonishingly this concept of hard work is still prevalent in many industries. Now it has also entered in software industries where the whitest collars work.

Very accidentally I realized one thing one day. Actually through some accident! I asked myself a question: “If I am permanently disabled unfortunately while on the job (Oh God, never let this happen to me or anyone) or returning from the job, will the Company I am working with will take care of me for the rest of my life?”

Once I was out of the shock of the answer I derived myself through some experiences, I decided to shape up my life through MY OWN INTERVENTION and move further.

My uncle, who was shifted to Pune from our native place due to heart attack, was admitted in the hospital and I had taken a forced leave for hospital visits and help. When he began to feel better, I joined my duties after 8-10 days. In the mean while the impression spread in the Company I was working then (by someone) was that I am not interested in the job. This is very painful. Unfortunately my uncle expired after 10-15 days at our home in the morning. I got the information (there were no mobiles then like the ones we use today) late in the evening since I was at Vendor’s place. One of my best friends Jaypramod brought me home. I loved my uncle. I remember remembering then how he used to take me to Panchgani on scooter and how he helped my brother to get settled.

One greatest change in my life happened in me on that day. Through shock! I lost my fear. Fear of anything. Fear of small things. Like fear of crossing the road, fear of talking, fear of laughing, fear of opposing the boss, fear of taking the decisions, fear of that Almighty God and mainly fear of death.

What small issues we take and fight within ourselves continuously? Here “we” may mean anything – from an individual to a country.

I began to express anything boldly thinking every day to be the last one within any given frame. On the contrary I was appreciated for my confidence, for my words, for my frankness, for my trustworthiness, etc. etc. and what not.

Lastly I want to conclude on one very important aspect in our life coming now and then. Time Management (and hence Stress Management). In one phase of some years I was extremely busy. If someone approached me, I used to tell him, “I don’t have even a minute to talk with you, let us discuss tomorrow.” So many phones, so many paper works, so many meetings, and so many new responsibilities, how should I derive time? Sometimes I used to take lunch at 3.00 pm and the other times I used to take too much workload at home to complete it by night or if controllable, used to stay late. The cleverest of some guys used to talk with me on phone.

One person in particular took advantage of this situation. He wanted to arrange some meeting with one external agency to tackle some problems of IT and used to tell everyone that he couldn’t arrange the meeting because I am busy. One day my boss told me to arrange that meeting and categorically to say every one that I am free and anybody can approach me at any time. This solved many teething problems of mine. The IT meetings after that declaration were postponed because the external agency didn’t have the time. Even if someone contacted me when I was busy, I used to tell him that I shall contact him at 2.52 pm. And then I really used to do that.

This also gave birth to many new inventions. I don’t remember when this thought came in my mind first. It is the most simple and the most effective way of time management. I decided that I shall work only for 5 hours a day as a routine work and 3 hours will be strictly mine. Many times this does not happen. But this gave me an opportunity to always be on the lookout for shortcuts and effectivities.

Today I say that I am always free no matter what the work conditions are.  Every evening I also go in a garden along with my wife, mother and daughter for a walk - I used to feel it a luxury once upon a time.