Got Time?

Another new year. Can you identify what has changed for you? Anything? As another year comes and goes, so do our numerous resolutions. And yet year after year, I read numerous articles on our inability to see a lot of these resolutions through… why is that? My guess is our inability to focus with the continuous influx of life’s distractions.

There are many words to sum up the human race, but these days the one that comes most to mind is impatience. Technology has made everything faster—so much so that we are often shocked when something we want isn’t done almost instantaneously. And why is this? Why are we willing to pay a premium for nonstop flights, shorter commutes and other express services? Because our time is invaluable. And as much as this feels like an issue of our modern world, it has really been an issue for centuries and more. Think about it… some of the biggest innovations in history have made huge strides in saving time or speeding up processes—cars, planes, machinery in general , electricity, the printing press, the telephone, etc.

I wish I could say that the future would lead to less demands on our time, but beyond the elusive “retirement” we each strive for, this isn’t likely. If anything, we’ll try to fit more and more within each minute of each day. So what are we to do if anything? Well, I believe this depends on each person and we all have our own limits. The key is knowing your own limits and when it is time to step back.

Happy writing this week and may you have a great start to this New Year!