Do you struggle to manage your time? This hard truth will get the ball rolling

One of the most common complaints I get from people who struggle with their desire to achieve great things is, "I'd love to realise my dreams, but I'm terrible at managing my time — I just don't have the discipline."

Don't worry, this isn't going to be a "How to..." guide on how to manage your time more efficiently. There are plenty of those articles just seconds away from a Google search. Most of the people who present this complaint to me already know what they should be doing, hence the last part about discipline.

If you'll allow me, this article is going to be (by my standards) a little more brutal than usual, and there's good reason for that. So many people who have talked to me about bad time management are not only smart. They're also creative, passionate, imaginative and skilled in their area. They simply struggle to make the best use of their time. And there are few things more frustrating than to hear these kinds of people declaring time management as their primary obstacle.

(Before I go any further, a side note: This article refers primarily to those to have the extra time to commit to whatever it is they wish to achieve. People who are juggling family, work and other commitments rarely complain to me about not having any spare time — usually because they're the pros at maximising every minute...they have no choice.)

There's a well-known analogy that's designed to get us thinking about using our time wisely. It goes something like this:

You get 84,600 seconds a day. Imagine if you wake up every day with $86,400 in your bank account. Every day, at the end of the night it’s gone, whether you spent it well or not. The next day you get another $86,400. You would do everything in your power to spend it, right? Because you know the next day you’re going to get another $86,400. You don’t want to leave any of it unspent – you'd make sure to make the most of your money, right?

You get 86,400 seconds each and every day. Why waste time?

This is an interesting analogy, but it doesn't work. Let's put aside the obvious economic implications that would arise if we each received $86,400 every day. If we knew we were to receive a substantial amount of money every day, within about six months (roughly the time it takes for exceptional circumstances to become normalised (e.g. winning the lottery)), we would treat the money just as we treat out time. We would know there'd always be more tomorrow, so we wouldn't bother to spend it all after some time...we'd become lazy and complacent and take it for granted.

Here's what drives me to make the most of my time (and here comes the brutal part...)

I'm going to die, and I have no idea when.

I hope it comes a few more decades down the line when I've achieved my dream of building a lasting legacy to help develop the leaders of tomorrow in Malaysia and beyond. I pray that I get to see the fruits of what I've been striving to plant over the past 10-15 years, working alongside a dedicated, talented and determined team of incredible people. I'm doing everything I can now to plan many more seeds today, tomorrow and, God willing, for many more years to come.

Every day, I remind myself that life is precious, that I'm blessed to be able to make whatever difference I can make in this world. I feel so grateful for the time I'm given. For me, life is a privilege rather than a right. By that, I mean that I don't expect any more than I'm fortunate enough to receive, and so I make sure to make full use of whatever I'm given.

Charles Darwin wrote, “A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.” When I first read those words some years ago, I thought to myself, "A man who expects another hour of life has yet to recognise the privilege of living." I have no idea where that thought came from, but it had a deep affect on me. Ever since then, I have tried to waste as little time as possible.

You might want to read: 11 Life lessons from a cancer survivor (updated)

Don't get me wrong: having fun, taking a break, going on holiday, spending time with your family, or just taking time out to do nothing but enjoy this blessed thing called life is not time wasted. If every second of your life is tied up in striving for a goal, then you might also regret that when your time begins to run out. The most successful people on the planet recognise the importance of balancing the pleasures of life with their professional pursuits. They know how to take time out and enjoy themselves.

Time wasted comes during those moments when you know you should be doing something worthwhile, but instead you find yourself regularly watching YouTube videos, scrolling aimlessly through social media, being "busy" checking your email and Google calendar for the 10th time inside the hour, or doing anything else that substitutes substantial action for lazy procrastination. "I can always do it after lunch...after the 3pm meeting...the day after tomorrow..."

Our human nature is such that we tend to incline towards taking the easy path. From an evolutionary perspective, it makes sense: the less mental and physical energy expended, the better. One reason why the world isn't filled with Elon Musks or Sheryl Sandbergs is because many people simply don't work hard enough at discovering their passion and then giving it their all to build something incredible with it.

To use our time well isn't difficult (OK, if you'd like a 'How to...' on time management, I recommend these 6 tips from leadership and management guru, Brian Tracy). To become more efficient in your use of time, ask yourself the following questions. I find they help to keep me focused, and I ask them of myself regularly:

1. Am I prepared to make the most of whatever opportunities come my way today?
2. If there are no clear opportunities, am I prepared to create them myself?
3. If this was my last day to make a contribution to the world, what would I do?
4. What have I being doing regularly of late that has contributed little or no value to my life and to the lives of others?
5. Over the past few days, have I been living my life as though I have a right to it, or as though I'm blessed to have received an extra day of this precious gift?
6. What choices will I make today that myself tomorrow and years from now will be thankful for?

It can sometimes feel tough to stick to a plan of action, to be disciplined in the choices we make. How many of us would love to take an extra hour in bed rather than go for the morning run? How many would love to watch just one more episode (or two...) of our favourite TV series rather than get through the next four items on the to-do list? How many of us would prefer to kick back and relax rather than put the slides together for that important sales pitch next week?

Then again, how many people would love to be able to go for a morning run, but can't? How many would relish the chance to be in our position, to enjoy the daily challenges we face? How much would some people give to be presented with the kinds of opportunities we can often take for granted?

How would you use your time if you reminded yourself, every day, that you will die one day, and that every second you're alive is infinitely more precious than the equivalent dollar amount? What would you do with your time if you truly realised on a deep level that you've already won the greatest lottery prize of all (you got to be born into this world, at this time)?

Roshan Thiran is the Founder & CEO of Leaderonomics — a social enterprise working to transform lives through leadership development. Connect with Roshan on Facebook and Twitter for more insights into business, personal development, and leadership.