Einstein’s Time
As I listen to the world around me, so many of us are trying to slow down. To not be as busy. To make more use of the time we have.
Here's the thing: we actually have the time we need. Whether or not we're using it appropriately or the way we'd like to? Well, in the end, that's on us - it's all about our choices.
Let me explain. While reading a recent book, the author spoke a bit about time and the difference between Newton and Einstein's view of time. Basically - it comes down to whether or not you think time is infinite. Think about how time seems to move. When you're waiting for a doctor's appointment, ten minutes feels like ten hours. When you're doing something you love, like a beach vacation, ten days passes in the blink of an eye. Time is what we make it.
There are so many ways to tackle this - all roads lead back to us taking charge of what we spend our time on. We're careful with our money (that's another post to itself) - and if time is the most valuable resource, we should be just as thoughtful with our minutes, hours and days.
About two years ago as I was in the process of changing careers, I did a time ladder exercise. Mapping out how I spent my hours of the day, both on the weekdays and weekends, cemented what I already knew - that I spent a large amount of time commuting and doing tasks I didn't enjoy, which left very little time for my family, and even less for me. I used those details to both try to reorganize my workday a little, as well as searching for a job that was a better fit for me.
Another example - in my current job, I need blocks of time to complete pretty intricate work, in which there isn't much room for error. My days had become filled by meetings, so my real "work" time was limited to 30 minute chunks here and there. Since I am able to build my schedule, I chose to spend one day in the office each week, and try to stack as many of those meetings into that day as possible. Not only do I not have to be stressed about having quiet time for meetings at random spots throughout the day, but on the days that I work from home, I have more time to actually WORK. It's a win-win.
Trust me - regaining control of your time isn't a quick process. I am still trying to reclaim some of my weekends from cleaning/chores - little bit by little bit, it will happen.
So much of this has to do with learning to say "no", or "X doesn't work for me - how about Y". While we may not all feel like we're in charge of all of our moments - when we really step back, we are. For example, when we say "I'm not a morning person, but I'm a teacher, and I have to be at school at 7 AM." Can you structure your day so that you don't have to be gung-ho first thing in the morning? Could you look for a teaching job at a school where they don't start as early? Are there things you could do to make the mornings less painful?
Like I said, it all comes back to our choices. And understanding ourselves well enough to know how to play to our strengths, our capabilities, and who we are at our core.
Time is both finite and infinite. Wouldn't you like to get the most out of it as possible?
Originally written in 2018, revised 2024.