The Importance of Time

What is time?

Time is a word used to describe a construct created by mankind. It refers to a never ending sequence of individual moments, from past to present and into the future. Which we break down and categorize into units of measurement; seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks and so on. Allowing us to better plan, manage and navigate our lives, past, present and future.

Why is time important?

“Tell me a story” she whispered in a cute tone, looking up at me through big green eyes. My mind jumped back to childhood for a moment. “Okay” I replied. And out came the classic beginning I’d heard time and time again. “Once upon a time, there was a little girl”. The rest escapes me. If you want to know the ending, you’ll have to use your imagination.

The point is, if it was once upon a time, that time has since passed. That time is gone. Never to return again. And that is why I think it’s so important to become aware, sooner rather than later, that time is the most valuable thing that you and I will ever be in possession of. This moment right now, reading this text, you will never get it back. You read that right, and if you didn’t, go back and read it again, as many times as you need.

I would hate to waste any of your precious time. So I truly hope, from the depths of my being, that you can obtain at least a slither of value from this text, and all that follows.

Tick, tick, tick.

Time is constantly ticking away. I am reminded as I stare at this blank page. Trying to organize my thoughts and get them out onto paper. But time doesn’t care. Time doesn’t care if you’re happy or sad. Busy or lazy. It doesn’t discriminate. It keeps moving. And, as we age, our perception of time seems to speed up. So it’s a good idea to fill your time with things that are important to you. Because our time is short, and it’s what we do with it that really matters.

There’s time for family, time for friends. Time for fun, laughter and happiness. Time for pain, suffering and grief. A time to get things done, and a time to rest. Just make sure there’s some time for you. Otherwise, what’s it all for? It’s your time after all. You’re the one in the driver’s seat. You’re in control. Not of much, but of you, your actions, and your time. That’s it. So, how will you spend it? What matters most to you?

A new perspective on time management.

Do nothing. This might sound counter productive. Especially after the last few paragraphs. But is doing nothing really doing nothing? When we remove all the distractions around us, people, technology etc. We are forced to pay attention to ourselves, to our thoughts, and our immediate environment.

You may think of this as boring. But being alone, being bored, going for a walk, sitting. Doing nothing. Just paying attention. This is where we get to know ourselves. And sometimes, our thoughts and imagination can bring us great insights.

I was sitting outside after breakfast the other day. And that’s when it came to me. The three P’s. The three P’s of time management. They are people, possessions, and purpose. If you think about it, forty to fifty percent of our time is taken up by ‘maintenance’ tasks. Sleeping, eating, showering etc. And the three P’s can be used to explain most of what’s left.

The three P’s

People
Possessions
Purpose

Let’s start with an overview of how this works. Simply put, people and possessions are what takes up most of our time. Purpose is what you can focus on with whatever you have left.

For example, imagine right now, all the people on earth, besides you, were gone for a moment. Don’t worry, they’re not. But imagine they are. Now imagine every possession you or anyone else owns is also gone. Including all company or government property. All the cars, buildings, roads and technology. All gone. No more possessions.

What does it look like around you now? You’re probably standing butt naked in a field. Or maybe sitting on a fallen tree in the woods? Perhaps you got lucky and were reading this from a quiet beach somewhere with no one around. Oh no, Guess what? This is as far as you can read on your device. Because that’s gone too!

You see? People and possessions take up so much of our time. I’m not saying you should disappear into the woods by yourself. Or get rid of all your friends. But if we limit our distractions and our inputs from others. Limit our time spent with our heads buried in technology. And choose what possessions we really need, or those that add value to our lives, we will free up so much extra time. Time we didn’t think we had.

Those extra rooms in your house still need time spent cleaning. That television in the living room doesn’t watch itself. There’s nothing wrong with watching television in moderation, but just ask yourself, is this the best use of my time?

When you’ve limited the first two p’s to a level you’re happy with, that allows you to use the rest of your time with purpose. I’m going to start by saying, don’t worry if you don’t know your purpose. This isn’t about finding your purpose. This is about using your time with purpose. Which ultimately may lead you to your purpose.

Ask yourself, why are you using your time to do what you’re doing? And, what makes you want to spend your time like that?

For example:

Q) Why are you going to the gym 3 times a week?
I want to be capable and strong for the demands of the day and to minimize my risk of injury.

Q) Why are you a chef?
I love food and I love to cook. There are infinite possibilities for me to create. And as a bonus I get to feed people nutritious meals that make them smile!

Using your time with purpose allows you to focus on the things that interest you and the things that matter most to you. Using your time with purpose could be, “I want to spend extra time with my kids”. Or, “I want to have some fun, let’s play mini golf”. Or, “I’m exhausted. I’m not going out tonight. I need to catch up on some sleep”. It’s your time. Use it however you like. Just do it with purpose.

We only have a certain amount of time in these bodies of ours and we’ll never know when our time is up. So make sure you make the most of it. Use it wisely, use it meaningfully, use it with purpose. Whatever that means to you!