Well worth the time to read! Here's something I noticed that lent evidence to the section about the brain being able to pay attention to only one thing at a time. As I was reading this post on my laptop, new emails began to shop up on the left side of the screen. As I glanced over to see what had come in (as we all know, each new email is of life or death importance), I lost track of what I had been been following in your post. My attention had gone from full of interest and clarity to having to work to get back into it. And then ... another email arrived. And so goes our daily life if we are not protective of our precious time.
Yes, Sara. When we do not reserve and protect periods of time for a specific purpose, how easy it is to be distracted and diverted away from being focused on one thing to the exclusion of all others. It's a special challenge for those of us who, as adults, suffer from ADHD.
Thanks for reading and for your comment with a personal illustration on point. One reason I like the 3 pages exercise is devoting that time to that purpose alone. That I usually do it first thing in the morning, after meditation and prayers, helps before the day starts to get cluttered with other self-appointed tasks and a to do list. We could make a list of time sucks - computers, phones and social media among them.
Time is a funny thing, isn't it? It's the one thing we can't escape, but it's also the one thing we can't quite grasp. In the hustle and bustle of our days, it's the moments we choose to make time for that really matter. The magic isn't in the quantity of time we have, but in the depth of the moments we choose to create.
Gary, thank you for sharing your thoughtful perspective on how we engage with this ever-present force in our lives.
Yes to the magic of embracing time and and the freedom to choose how we will spend this gift of grace and space. Now, in this moment, and the next. And on we go...
I really enjoyed this reminder to "make time" for the things and people that are important to us and to never underestimate what can come out of the activities we spend time doing. How cool to learn the origin story of the "Time of My Life" and how it was interwoven by this very nature of time. I try to constantly remind myself that those 24 hours in the day that we are all granted I can choose to spend either bemoaning "not enough time" to do all that I want to do, or be intentional on how I spend the time and at the end of the day, take time to feel gratitude that I was granted yet another day and precious hours to live with presence and intention.
I had a feeling multitasking was not possible for humans; the idea was created by Corporate America in the 1990s to get workers to do more work after the downsizing (companies calked it rightsizing) mania of the 1980s. Employees were forced to do the job of two or three. This explains one reason why most people working today hate their jobs; the other is incompotent bosses.
When I stayed with a friend a couple of years ago, the difference in our perception and use of time led to many discussions between us. (She normally began them.) I am an early riser, loving the quiet hours in the morning and beginning a new day in a calm manner. I also go to bed early on weeknights to read and go to sleep so that I am rested for my early morning rise. I like to have order and routine to my day, with specific times for different tasks, etc. Having shared this, I can, and do, bend when someone needs me to. I never want to get to the point that I am like a robot in my schedule. Or become someone whose day is ruined if they are interrupted. I am also a big believer in free time in my day, using that free time for my own personal needs. When my kids were growing up, they knew that if I was home and didn't answer a text, that they were to call our landline (I got rid of it when my youngest went to college). I didn't carry my cell phone around the house with me. I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't become dependent on my phone; for my needs or the needs of others. I live by this standard to this day. Time is precious and how we use it each day is a personal choice. What is important, is that people respect how others choose to use their time.
Gary, I enjoyed this, and it's all so true. I used to think I was a great multi-tasker, until one day I realized exactly what you said - it was taking a toll on my mental health. Mexico time sounds lovely - a bit like hospital time maybe, but without the frustration. I do remember the old TIMEX ad! Thanks for getting me thinking about making time for what's important and taking time less seriously!
My friend who lives in Ajijic loves Mexico time. What a change from Silicon Valley. She was just here and that difference kept making its way into the conversation.
Well worth the time to read! Here's something I noticed that lent evidence to the section about the brain being able to pay attention to only one thing at a time. As I was reading this post on my laptop, new emails began to shop up on the left side of the screen. As I glanced over to see what had come in (as we all know, each new email is of life or death importance), I lost track of what I had been been following in your post. My attention had gone from full of interest and clarity to having to work to get back into it. And then ... another email arrived. And so goes our daily life if we are not protective of our precious time.
Yes, Sara. When we do not reserve and protect periods of time for a specific purpose, how easy it is to be distracted and diverted away from being focused on one thing to the exclusion of all others. It's a special challenge for those of us who, as adults, suffer from ADHD.
Thanks for reading and for your comment with a personal illustration on point. One reason I like the 3 pages exercise is devoting that time to that purpose alone. That I usually do it first thing in the morning, after meditation and prayers, helps before the day starts to get cluttered with other self-appointed tasks and a to do list. We could make a list of time sucks - computers, phones and social media among them.
Time is a funny thing, isn't it? It's the one thing we can't escape, but it's also the one thing we can't quite grasp. In the hustle and bustle of our days, it's the moments we choose to make time for that really matter. The magic isn't in the quantity of time we have, but in the depth of the moments we choose to create.
Gary, thank you for sharing your thoughtful perspective on how we engage with this ever-present force in our lives.
Yes to the magic of embracing time and and the freedom to choose how we will spend this gift of grace and space. Now, in this moment, and the next. And on we go...
I really enjoyed this reminder to "make time" for the things and people that are important to us and to never underestimate what can come out of the activities we spend time doing. How cool to learn the origin story of the "Time of My Life" and how it was interwoven by this very nature of time. I try to constantly remind myself that those 24 hours in the day that we are all granted I can choose to spend either bemoaning "not enough time" to do all that I want to do, or be intentional on how I spend the time and at the end of the day, take time to feel gratitude that I was granted yet another day and precious hours to live with presence and intention.
I had a feeling multitasking was not possible for humans; the idea was created by Corporate America in the 1990s to get workers to do more work after the downsizing (companies calked it rightsizing) mania of the 1980s. Employees were forced to do the job of two or three. This explains one reason why most people working today hate their jobs; the other is incompotent bosses.
When I stayed with a friend a couple of years ago, the difference in our perception and use of time led to many discussions between us. (She normally began them.) I am an early riser, loving the quiet hours in the morning and beginning a new day in a calm manner. I also go to bed early on weeknights to read and go to sleep so that I am rested for my early morning rise. I like to have order and routine to my day, with specific times for different tasks, etc. Having shared this, I can, and do, bend when someone needs me to. I never want to get to the point that I am like a robot in my schedule. Or become someone whose day is ruined if they are interrupted. I am also a big believer in free time in my day, using that free time for my own personal needs. When my kids were growing up, they knew that if I was home and didn't answer a text, that they were to call our landline (I got rid of it when my youngest went to college). I didn't carry my cell phone around the house with me. I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't become dependent on my phone; for my needs or the needs of others. I live by this standard to this day. Time is precious and how we use it each day is a personal choice. What is important, is that people respect how others choose to use their time.
Gary, I enjoyed this, and it's all so true. I used to think I was a great multi-tasker, until one day I realized exactly what you said - it was taking a toll on my mental health. Mexico time sounds lovely - a bit like hospital time maybe, but without the frustration. I do remember the old TIMEX ad! Thanks for getting me thinking about making time for what's important and taking time less seriously!
My friend who lives in Ajijic loves Mexico time. What a change from Silicon Valley. She was just here and that difference kept making its way into the conversation.
Loved your insights on time!