Why it’s never too late to change

I wondered whether I should rehash my last year’s column on New Year’s Resolutions because every year is the same struggle and nothing much will change.

“That’s unethical,” said my wife, when I asked for her quick opinion as I was writing as usual at the very last minute and was on deadline. “You are allowed to copy other people’s writing from Google search, but I don’t think you can plagiarise yourself,” she said, helpfully.

I have found over the years that time is in short supply for me.

I am always running out of the house at the last minute for a meeting and taking the wrong turn on Shaikh Zayed Road and into the rush hour traffic that is trying to beat the Salik toll gate.

“Why does this always happen to me?” I think to myself, desperately trying to weave in and out of traffic while beating my head on the steering wheel.

I have read umpteen self-help books and advice columns by people who seem to know how to manage their time while leading busy lives and even manage to take their dog to the hair stylist.

“Dear Prudie,” wrote one woman to an advice columnist called Prudence. “Should I divorce my husband who just lies on the couch the whole day? He does not have any time for anything.”

The author of a self-help book said it was not time, but sleep that was in short supply in today’s world.

“When you sleep properly you will get up early and have all the time in the world the next day,” he said, but warned that one should sleep in a room that is completely dark, no red lights flickering from alarm clocks or blue lights from mobile phones.

That was impossible as the WiFi router was in our bedroom and if I shut it off, it would spread chaos throughout the household.

I have come to the conclusion that somehow I am living in a different zone where time runs faster.

“What do you think?” I asked my son. I had read somewhere that, the ‘son is the father of man’, or something like that, which probably meant the kids today are smarter than their parents.

“Dad, you hang out on Facebook a lot, posting pictures,” he said. “What? Don’t you?” I said. “Nah, Facebook isn’t for me.” “But social media is such great fun, you can interact with people, without really meeting them,” I said.

I have now decided to focus on things in the New Year other than time management — that I should be worried about:

1) Gaining Weight: Unlike most people who make resolutions to lose weight, I need to put on weight. “You look so scrawny. A paunch on a skinny guy looks silly,” said my wife. “Eat almonds with ghee (clarified butter) and drink lots of ginger tea,” said one alternative medicine website.

2) Making Money: Like Time, money, moolah, wealth, riches, assets, deep pockets, resources, fortune, hard cash, always seem to be in short supply. “The trick is not to make more money, but to spend less,” said one financial expert, but I am sure that is not the whole story.

3) Finding a balance between work and home: “Guys, would you like to go on a road trip? It would be nice to bond as a family and see new places?” “Nah, you go ahead. We are going to the mall.”

4) Happiness: Do good to others and you will find happiness, says a happiness guru. I shall have to try that out. And all this while I thought happiness was chicken noodle soup.

5) Take chances: I have never done that thinking it was too risky. But management experts believe calculated risks are the way forward.

Mahmood Saberi is a freelance journalist based in Dubai.