Rushing here and rushing there I started to contemplate time and how it’s a false idea exasperated throughout our lives. “Do I have time” or “I don’t have enough time” are two questions we all ask ourselves. It’s also one of those things that controls our every move. Whether it’s when you’re with loved ones and the pressing time tells you that you have to be somewhere else; taking us out of the present moment to rush out to our next engagement. Time keeps us from staying in the present moment. We are not allowed to enjoy the moment because time is calling.
A March 2014 report by UNC’s Carolina Demography, reported that 1 in 4 car accidents occur during “rush” hour. Although it is not surprising… it’s still alarming to know that even with numbers that the days seem shorter and shorter with all the stuff we have to accomplish. Oddly the term “rush hour” is a coinage of the 1890s which can only mean one thing, we subconsciously have been conditioned to believe we don’t have enough time in a day; teaching us that we have to rush.
Now let’s turn to your To-Do List. Do you create To-Do Lists so long that it’s more of a chore to look at it instead of conquering it? Creating a To-Do List too long is actually a joke.
99U by Behance has a great article “If It Won’t Fit On a Post-It, It Won’t Fit In Your Day” that you all should read. The article addresses the fact we often place too much on our to-do lists. A list too long makes it impossible to feel any sense of accomplishment and personally speaking creates a sense of urgency and anxiety. The author, Mark McGuinness, shares “…everything is urgent, nothing is urgent: you can’t do everything at once, so you still need to prioritize. And a short to-do list with very strict criteria about what gets on it is a great way to do that.”
“Places to be and people to see” is a saying that has been a part of my life for years but today I am not sure what good it has done for me. Today, I had the pleasure fulfilling one of my to-do list items, sitting down to write and express my feeling on a topic that interest me… time! The time I spent writing today made me realize the value of time. I love writing and when I was young, time dictated the amount of minutes I would spend nurturing my craft. A date, a club party, or plans with friends always limited the amount of time I spent writing. I was always in a rush to do the next thing and to see the next person or place.
On my way home today from work, I began to realize we are not always in control of time. My “aha” moment was understanding that this is why everyone is always screaming for quality time. Time is in control and forcing us to keep things short so we can accomplish all that we have set out for ourselves. It becomes important then to ensure that the time spent with loved ones is unique, memorable and of quality. When was the last time you sat in a room with the one you love and didn’t worry or think about what you have to do hours from that moment. If you say never, I am not sure that is true. However, if that’s the case, you’re ahead of the game.
The commodity of time is an art form that our smartphones have made worse. Even when I stopped worrying about how long this piece would take to write… time immediately stopped and I was more in control of my time and the moment.
Living in the moment often sounds like bullshit but allowing time to control you to the point that you lose out on the present is unfortunate. The magic of the present does exist and is worth investing in. But it can’t exist if you don’t slow down, prioritize, and smell the roses.
