Your Relationship to Time

Have you ever wished for a few more hours in the day? Of course, so have I, but the reality is no matter how special you are, you get 24 hours in a day and 7 days a week, just like everyone else.

So why do some people seem to get everything done effortlessly and others feel that time constantly eludes them? The secret isn’t working more hours or harder, it’s … working smarter. 

Choose what you’d like to focus on. Is it your perceived lack of time (I know you didn’t piss off the time fairy and were granted only 14 hours in a day and 5 days a week) or is your focus on how you’d like to spend your time?

I had a moment this month and thought, “Oh shoot it’s already October, I have so much to do.” But then I shifted my focus to “Yes it’s finally October, a new month and new opportunities!” I was stressing about how much I still had to do and the fact that the clock was ticking. Where you put your focus, is where you shoot (that’s from my Texas shooting range days) or where your energy goes. In fact, that’s exactly the definition of the word ‘stressing’: “to give particular emphasis or focus to.” So, did I want to be stressing time ticking away and what I haven’t gotten done yet?  That gave me anxiety, felt overwhelming, and wasn’t at all where I wanted to put my energy (or shoot).  I decided, instead, I wanted to be stressing the new opportunities October was going to bring me. I changed my relationship to time.

The true secret in getting it all done: You hold the lens through which you see time.

Like a new muscle, it takes practice and repetition to strengthen your relationship to time. Notice how you are perceiving time, is it on your side? Racing against you? I noticed I was always saying “I gotta run,” and felt late to things and like I was always rushing around.  And I was! Changing my relationship to time also included me changing how I talked about time. “I am going to leave now,” became my cue to be on my way.  It gave me a sense of control over time, I didn’t feel like I was being pulled or dragged by this unknown force.  And the crazy thing is, I wasn’t rushing around and arriving late to things anymore.

Today I am also making the commitment to no longer say, I can’t believe it’s already _____(insert current moment). Because today is today, now is now, and I will not get any more hours or another life.

Remember, Time is just time.  You give it the meaning.  You have the power.