If you are screaming, NO. IT. ISN’T instead of happily humming the next few lyrics of the famous Rolling Stones’ song, you’ve most likely personified Time an evil villain in the story of your life. Someone out to get you, never cutting you slack and most definitely your enemy.
It sounds funny but it is what we do, personify things.
They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself. ~
The Meaning of Time
According to The Cambridge Dictionary, Time is part of existence that is measured in minutes, days, years, etc.
Nothing more, nothing less. It doesn’t say anything about Time picking sides nor being evil or out to get anyone in any of the definitions I researched.
Your Meaning of Time
Take an honest look now at your invented relationship to Time. What do you believe about Time? If you and Time were a married couple, how would you describe that relationship?
Our relationship with Time doesn’t need to be evil to create mischief in our lives. If you believe that Time will bend itself for you, or owes you something, even multiplying to give you two hours where really only one exists then you’re going to be one harried individual.
Let’s start by downgrading the power Time wields over you by lowering it’s name to little “t” time. Ah there…. now it’s in its rightful, quiet place in the sentence.
Time Management ????????????
Time management is the process of planning and exercising conscious control of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity.
So how do you exercise “conscious control” if you’re not even conscious or aware or worse, if you believe that Time is your evil master, out to get you?
The concept of time management always cracks me up, not because I’m evil (since we’re on the evil theme) but because you can slap any brilliant “time management” tool, app, or apparatus on anyone and it might slightly improve the situation. Like putting icing on a mud pie, it’s still a mud pie. This mostly moves the same pieces around rather than addressing the root issue. In most cases, it results in marginal improvement or short-term improvement to the situation rather than causing a shift.
Being Before Doing
Can tools and apps cause a paradigm shift? Maybe. Sometimes, doing something different gives us much needed space which in turn causes a shift in our perception or thinking. However, I assert even then, some part of the unhealthy inner stance changed first. Think about it for a minute, instead of bitching about time, we might say, “that’s it, tomorrow I’m going to try that new app that everyone’s raving about”. That’s a mindset shift from bitchy to open to trying something new. Lol.
Apps and time management tools can facilitate openings by bringing about relief which reduces the assault on the nervous system. When our nervous system calms down we have access to more brain function, more creativity, and more perspective and are more likely to be open to shift. I do assert that a shift must occur before the change becomes permanent. Who you be about something always informs your actions.
Paradigm Shifts
By becoming a continual observer of your language, emotions and body and how these relate to your actions you have greater access to profound shifts, those “aha” moments or paradigm shifts.
When you own the part you play in creating a crazy and somewhat weird relationship with Time you can break up with him/her/they. ????
Time is not on my side. > Time is time.
I’m a slave to Time. > Time is time.
If time is just time, without a personality, then only you can be responsible for who you be about time and what you choose to do in the space of 24 hours per day.
If we were to look at you and time, what would we say about your relationship?
No shaming or blaming here!
Snakes and Ladders
If you’ve just screamed, I. DON’T. HAVE. TIME. FOR. THIS. It’s like the game of Snakes and Ladders, go back to the top of this article and read again.
Resistance is normal. Yes, you’ll still have that list of “to-do’s” however, from a shifted way of being you’ll be much more capable of orienting around what’s truly important.
Remember the exercising conscious control part of time management?
This is the vital key to a whole new relationship with time.
From here, you’ll be able to delegate effectively and stop double-booking yourself or giving yourself zero time to travel between meetings. You’ll be able to stop doing things that don’t serve you and spend more time on things that do.
I’ve got lots more on time when you’ve got a minute…
