When time is abundant…
We allow ourselves to have deeper, richer conversations
We don’t feel bad about using time for self-care
We invest in reading and learning
We take moments to be introspective and retrospective, not to feel guilt about our mistakes, but to learn, improve, and move on
Little mistakes seem even less significant, because we have the time to fix them
I find myself more productive, focusing on the most important and highest priority things
We feel less of a need to multitask
We are more creative. Our minds are freer and we have an opportunity to explore
We are nicer to others. We take time to ask them questions, get to know them better
We get abundance of time when we balance that which we need to do, we want to do, and what is requested of us by external factors. that which brings us pleasure, that relaxes us, brings us wisdom, joy, AND prosperity. Time flows in abundance when we focus on things that are aligned with our larger values and objectives / projects in life. When we dedicate our time to things that allow us to further unlock our potential, our ability to effectively use time, increases.
Dedicating time to planning is essential. When we accomplish what we realistically set out to accomplish in short windows of time, and then have extra time for other important / pleasurable things, time is abundant. A rough / flexible plan for the day, week, month, quarter, year, five years, etc. can also be helpful.
Look for ways to make the things you don’t necessarily enjoy doing, but should be doing, more enjoyable.
Be comfortable accepting alternate outcomes and adjust your time planning
Think about the ideas that come to you when you are on vacation. How you feel at ease. It’s because for a change, time feels more abundant.
There is plenty of time for the things that need to be done
There is the right amount of time for the things that need to happen’
Some further thoughts if you’d like to continue reading…
The impact of the smartphone
The phone has made us more impulsive. If a thought passes our mind, if we have a question, we can immediately grab for our phone, opening up a moment for distraction. Notifications have disrupted our attention span, where we could previously live in the moment of what we are doing. Phones promote multi-tasking and triggers for a multitude of activities that can compete with what we could be doing. Phones are an escape of boredom. They are a constant stream of info and tailored entertainment that can be tailored to the way our mind thinks.
Phones have changed our attention spans to the point where real life can occasionally appear dull. It requires some work to actively listen to others, to think about what to say, or to sit in our own mind, and just meditate. To find patience in a world where time can appear limited. But when we reflect and realize we have plenty of time, we can sit in the real world and not grab for our phones and allow life to unfold without the drug of external stimulation.
Our ability to answer questions in our head within seconds on our phones creates not only an expectation of immediacy, but a lower patience threshold. We become creatures that believe any minute extra that something takes is too long. Things that take time become those which we procrastinate on.
Life is our greatest marathon
When we only focus on what our near term goals are, we may lose sight of our life ahead. It’s our ability to look at short term objectives, and longer term objectives, pacing ourselves between the two, that we can truly be “productive”. Out ability to achieve over years is much more powerful than what we can do in a few hours or a few minutes. It is wise to have a sense of how our time is part of a larger picture.