Time is precious. How will you spend it?

By Mayo Clinic staff

Original Article:  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-blog/MY01546
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  • Stress blog

  • Oct. 20, 2010

    Time is precious. How will you spend it?

    By Edward T. Creagan, M.D.

5 comments posted

At a recent conference, I was given a copy of the book, "The Last Lecture," by Randy Pausch. I was familiar with the story in a general way. At the height of his career as a tenured scientist at a major university, Dr. Pausch was stricken with advanced cancer of the pancreas. His time was limited. The clock was ticking. He delivered his "last lecture" to the academic community, but it soon spread throughout the world via the web.

Need more help?

If the stress in your life is more than you can cope with, get help right away.

  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
    1-800-273-TALK (8255)
  • Go to the nearest hospital or emergency room
  • Call your physician, health provider or clergy
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness
    www.nami.org
    1-800-950-NAMI (6264)

I found many powerful lessons in this book, but one especially impressed me: You have only so much time, and you need to decide how best to spend it. When you have a goal — something you need to do — it becomes easier to focus your time and energy. Dr. Pausch also emphasized how important it is to write down your goal. If you don't write it down, it won't get done. And your energy will be wasted on trivial pursuits.

What did others take away from Dr. Pausch's fine book?

5 comments posted

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MY01546 Oct. 20, 2010

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