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Saving Time by Asking

Why

by Maria Gracia Updated October 27, 2023 Join our newsletter to be notified when new content is added to our website. This is an old fable I heard a long time ago that continues to have enormous impact on the things I do today. I thought you'd enjoy it. Once upon a time, a child stood and watched her mother prepare the annual holiday ham. The mother carefully cut each end off the ham before placing it in the pan. The child asked, "Mother, why do you always cut the ends off the ham?" The mother replied, "Well, that's the way my mother always did it." So, the child called her grandmother and asked, "Grandma, why do you always cut the ends off the ham?" The grandmother replied, "because that's the way my mother always did it." Finally, the child called her great- grandmother and asked, "Great-Grandma, why did you always cut the ends off the ham?" The great-grandmother thought for a moment and replied, "Because the ham is way too big to fit in my baking pan!!" So, what’s the point of this little story? Many people perform many tasks in their day. There’s a very good chance, though, that they’ve never asked themselves why they’re performing these tasks. Or if they’re really necessary. Or if there may be a way to perform them better or in less time. Continuously reevaluate your time and how you're using it, and chances are, you’ll be sure to find areas that could be streamlined or eliminated. Back to Time Management Index