A story about using time productively in pursuit of your goals.
Alexander Astor was a wise ant and continued working when his brothers decided to be lazy. But could he single-handedly save his family in their time of need?
Amazing Ant Colony was always buzzing with activity. All the ants took the wise advice of Queen Ann and churned away at food collection drives. The Astor boys were no different. Alexander and his brothers learned from the best.
One day, the Astor boys all earned Senior Ant status. They learned the ropes, and it was now time for them to move out of Amazing Ant Colony and work for another queen.
“I’m so happy we’re no longer under Queen Ann’s rule,” said Alexander’s brother, Arthur.
“Yes, me too,” replied the youngest brother, Aaron. “We don’t have to collect any food for now. We can leave that to the Junior Ants who are here learning.”
Alexander was shocked to hear his brothers speak like that. He knew that in order to stay fed during the rainy season, they had to continue on the food collection drive.
So Alexander continued to be productive while his brothers lazed around all day. He doubled up his efforts and collected much more food than normal.
Soon, the rainy season was upon them. The rains started to pour and the Astor brothers had to run for cover. They suddenly panicked when they realized that it was now too late to go get food.
Good thing Alexander was being productive all along. “Well, boys,” he said. “Although you were being rebellious and lazy, I still went ahead and collected enough food for all of us. None of us have to worry about starving during the rainy season.”
His brothers leaped for joy and said, “Thanks for taking care of us, Alexander. We have definitely learned our lesson!”
Moral of the story: Take the time today to work towards your goals, as you never know what tomorrow might bring.
The Productive Ant Self-Reflection
Alexander learned the same lessons as the other Astor brothers. They all understood the importance of food collection drives. They knew it was the best way to ensure they have enough food to last them through the rainy season.
But his brothers somehow abandoned those lessons when they earned Senior Ant status. They started strutting around with the idea that the lessons were of little value now. As such, food collection drives fell way down on their priority list.
It’s sometimes easy to fall into that frame of mind when your circumstances change. Somehow, you feel that your prior principles have little worth in your new situation.
However, principles are fundamental truths that dictate behaviors, regardless of circumstances.
To ensure that you are able to hit your goal, stick to the underlying principles of productivity. The best time to work towards your goals is today. There will be times when you’ll have reason to be thankful that you were able to accomplish what you did.
An opportunity may come along that your prior work allows you to take advantage of. Maybe you’ll suffer challenges that your preparation helps you overcome with ease.
For your best success, please lay the groundwork today for reaching your goals tomorrow. Use every chance you get to be productive and you’ll avoid a lot of disappointment.
Self-Reflection Questions:
- What actions did I take today to help my dreams come true?
- What techniques can I use to achieve more effective time management?
- How can I balance achieving my personal goals with the needs of my loved ones?