ANTenna Blog -- Business & E-Business

Former Carnegie Mellon University computer science professor Dr. Randy Pausch lost his valiant battle with pancreatic cancer on Friday. But Pausch left behind a timeless legacy that emphasizes living life to its fullest -- and for Pausch an essential element of that approach involved employing time management skills.

Pausch's story was brought to light by Wall Street Journal writer Jeff Zaslow who was in the audience when Pausch delivered what was commonly called the "Last Lecture," which took on an extra poignancy when Pausch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given about six months to live.
Pausch became famous for that lecture, titled, "Achieving Your Childhood Dreams."

The video is over an hour and well worth your time. Over six million people have viewed it and I can safely say that every single one of them had to have been inspired in some way. Pausch talks about failure, success, being passionate about what you do, and what is really important in life. Everyone has a favorite part of the lecture: Mine is the decision that Pausch says everyone has to be a Tigger – happy -- or an Eeyore – perpetually sad.

Pausch's lecture on achieving childhood dreams has – deservedly – received a tremendous amount of attention but what should not get lost in the shuffle is Pausch's approach to getting there. On his Web site he wrote:

"People who know me know that the talk that I'm actually most proud of is the talk I've given over the years on "Time Management."

Pausch's approach to time management is, not surprisingly, sensible, manageable, and will make a big difference in your day to day work life. He coveres everything from keeping meetings short to managing your e-mail to limiting paperwork. The talk is available on his Web site.

The video can be viewed here:

For Pausch, time management is all about being able to get work done so you can spend more time doing what counts: having fun with friends and family.

Towards the end of his last lecture, Pausch reveals that he wrote the lecture for his three children. They lost their father and the world lost a great man.