“Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.” – Will Rogers
In an article that asks, Are You As Busy As You Think? in the Wall Street Journal, the author explained studies that were done to show that Americans underestimate the amount of free time they have. The author made a suggestion about the way we think and express how much ‘time’ we really have, that really changes things.
Instead of saying ‘I don’t have time’, she suggests that we try saying ‘it’s not a priority,’ and see how it feels. As an example, try saying: ‘I don’t go to the doctor because my health is not a priority.’
“If these phrases don’t sit well, that’s the point. Changing our language reminds us that time is a choice. If we don’t like how we’re spending an hour, we can choose differently.”
Is time an excuse you’ve used in the past to get out of doing something that’s in your best interest or in the best interest of those around you?
Here are a few questions to ask yourself when exploring this in your life:
1. What are all of the things I haven’t done because I “didn’t have the time?
Making a list of everything you’ve avoided with this excuse can be incredibly eye opening. How do you feel when you pair each of the things on your list with the statement, “It is not a priority?” If it doesn’t feel like something you’d want to repeat out loud, then it’s likely something you should look into further.
2. What is it that I’m really trying to avoid?
Sometimes we are trying to avoid failure or hurt, but we are simply hindering our growth by avoiding tasks or situations that could get us out of our routine and teach us something great.
3. Where is my time going?
Do a time audit. If you spend ten minutes a day checking Facebook that is over an hour a week that could go towards taking a class or catching up with a friend.
The time is there, it’s simply a matter of spending it more deliberately.
Written by Kayla Albert, adapted from The Illusion of Time, originally published on Think Simple Now.
