Do you believe we are the makers of our own time or do you think you have to do with whatever time is given to you, and therefor you'll never have enough time to do everything you want to do?
Until pretty recently I tended to think I had to do the best of the 24hours that punctuate each and every day.
That was before I'd heard about the Einstein approach of time vs the Newton approach of time (the one most of us live in). I won't get into the technical theories here, you can google them as much as you want.
But I have gone on a pretty strict diet : I have decided to stop complaining about time. To not give room in my mind for such complaints. It's a hard diet to go on, believe me! You can try it for yourself, see how many times a day you think you don't have enough time to accomplish all that you want to do, that you are running out of time, that you wish there were 36hours in a day. How many times a day do you look at the clock ticking on your watch or cellphone?
If you're late for an appointment yet run into a friend while leaving the grocery store, try not to say you don't have time for a chitchat...that's a hard one! But instead of saying "sorry I don't have time right now" (usually this comes with an exhausted-worried-look), you can simply change your words and say "hey let's make time soon to catch up!" (with a smile and a happy-face!).
This might sound silly at first but what a difference it makes in my everyday approach of time and hours passing by. I've come to realize that I am in charge of making the time I need for my life. Complaints about time still come to my mind, almost everyday, but I don't let the thought take up space in my mind. I notice it, I acknowledge it and I wave it good-bye. It is quite a challenge when you have children, work to do, lunch and diner to think about first thing in the morning , groceries to go shop....an endless list really.
But what a relieve to stop complaining about time. What a relieve to come to the realization that you can make time for what you want to achieve. It might means that the laundry won't be folded right in the second the dryer has stopped drying, it might means there will be a few toys laying around the house for another couple of days or unboxed boxes waiting for you to give it some attention. I personally have had to put a bit of my social life on hold lately. But frankly, I have spent most of my twenties being very social, partying, meeting new peeps, traveling, and I loved it but right now, I am making time for my family AND myself. It is quite a new concept for me : m y s e l f !
Stopping the time-complaints-thing has helped bring the focus back in my life. I don't want to complain therefor I make time for what matters most to me right now. And baking a chocolate cake on a Wednesday with my 2 year old, picking up my camera because the light in our kitchen corner is pretty damn good and because photography matters to me, getting a nice photo of my son, laughing out loud with him as we dip our fingers in the melted chocolate, watching him try to break an egg and spill flour all over the floor while doing so, that's what I want to make time for.
And somehow, this no-complaint-about-time-thing seems to work wonder work wise as well. To the point I go, more focus and more efficiency = more tasks accomplished in less time.
Will this help keep my sanity when baby2 comes along? Maybe not, but it's okay, I will then be able to drink a good ol'Guinness when in deep need of me-time.
Side note : I believe a little boy who knows how to bake a chocolate cake will turn out to be a great Man!
Until pretty recently I tended to think I had to do the best of the 24hours that punctuate each and every day.
That was before I'd heard about the Einstein approach of time vs the Newton approach of time (the one most of us live in). I won't get into the technical theories here, you can google them as much as you want.
But I have gone on a pretty strict diet : I have decided to stop complaining about time. To not give room in my mind for such complaints. It's a hard diet to go on, believe me! You can try it for yourself, see how many times a day you think you don't have enough time to accomplish all that you want to do, that you are running out of time, that you wish there were 36hours in a day. How many times a day do you look at the clock ticking on your watch or cellphone?
If you're late for an appointment yet run into a friend while leaving the grocery store, try not to say you don't have time for a chitchat...that's a hard one! But instead of saying "sorry I don't have time right now" (usually this comes with an exhausted-worried-look), you can simply change your words and say "hey let's make time soon to catch up!" (with a smile and a happy-face!).
This might sound silly at first but what a difference it makes in my everyday approach of time and hours passing by. I've come to realize that I am in charge of making the time I need for my life. Complaints about time still come to my mind, almost everyday, but I don't let the thought take up space in my mind. I notice it, I acknowledge it and I wave it good-bye. It is quite a challenge when you have children, work to do, lunch and diner to think about first thing in the morning , groceries to go shop....an endless list really.
But what a relieve to stop complaining about time. What a relieve to come to the realization that you can make time for what you want to achieve. It might means that the laundry won't be folded right in the second the dryer has stopped drying, it might means there will be a few toys laying around the house for another couple of days or unboxed boxes waiting for you to give it some attention. I personally have had to put a bit of my social life on hold lately. But frankly, I have spent most of my twenties being very social, partying, meeting new peeps, traveling, and I loved it but right now, I am making time for my family AND myself. It is quite a new concept for me : m y s e l f !
Stopping the time-complaints-thing has helped bring the focus back in my life. I don't want to complain therefor I make time for what matters most to me right now. And baking a chocolate cake on a Wednesday with my 2 year old, picking up my camera because the light in our kitchen corner is pretty damn good and because photography matters to me, getting a nice photo of my son, laughing out loud with him as we dip our fingers in the melted chocolate, watching him try to break an egg and spill flour all over the floor while doing so, that's what I want to make time for.
And somehow, this no-complaint-about-time-thing seems to work wonder work wise as well. To the point I go, more focus and more efficiency = more tasks accomplished in less time.
Will this help keep my sanity when baby2 comes along? Maybe not, but it's okay, I will then be able to drink a good ol'Guinness when in deep need of me-time.
Side note : I believe a little boy who knows how to bake a chocolate cake will turn out to be a great Man!
