Yesterday I got an email from a friend stating that “the biggest enemy is the time factor”. Often we see time as an enemy. Yet, our notion of time is largely artificial as methods for time-keeping were only invented some 4,000 years ago (Wiki). Also see my related blogs of 7 September 2015 (Time travel) and 28 October 2015 (Wasted Time).
In my preparation for this blog, I noticed an interesting article: “Is time your friend or your enemy?” It starts as follows: “Western society promotes being busy at all times and at all costs. As a result, it seems that we are always rushing. We live by the calendar and we are run by the clock. We learn early on in life that you had better be on time for things or bad stuff will happen. Be late to turn in your papers and your grade gets lowered. Be late to pay your bills and you get stuck with a penalty. Be late to finish your work and you may be out of a job”.
Essentially, our life is time-boxed with an average life expectancy which is currently around 80 for men and 85 for women (Wiki). The oldest human ever is Jeanne Calment (1875–1997), who died at age 122 years, 164 days (Wiki). There are plenty of internet based calculators available to check your personal average life expectancy and even including suggestions to increase it (example).
The question whether time is a friend or a foe (enemy) is not fixed in time. For many – if not most – of us, it will vary on the circumstances at a certain moment in time. A reporting deadline – or time limit – at work may cause lots of stress, and time then easily becomes your enemy. However, once the deadline has passed this feeling will vanish quickly. Then it suddenly seems that time is abundant.
Considering that our concept of time is largely artificial, the “friend or foe” question is also largely artificial. We create, use and waste our time. And we also decide for ourselves whether time is a friend or a foe. So the real issue is how to prevent time from becoming an enemy. Or how to make time your friend. Time will always be near us (eg, clocks, mobile phone, PC, wrist watch).
Time management is only a part of the solution. It is basically a tool for creating time by making better use of time and/or by wasting less time. In my view, it is the volume of unfinished tasks that defines whether time is a friend or a foe. These unfinished tasks may have a quite diverse nature. Ultimately, we will learn that the unfinished physical tasks are the least worrisome as there will always be a “next” day or moment (ie, the manjana approach).
Unfinished tasks of an emotional nature are the most important ones and will largely define whether we consider time as a friend or a foe: eg, apologies, friendship, love, reconciliations, regret, remorse. In my view, procrastination is the real enemy, not time. We think and feel that time is abundant and we keep on delaying the important decisions in our life until it’s “too little, too late”.
Each day, I now realise that time is mostly a gift rather than anything else (eg, burden). We are not entitled to this gift. In essence, time is like a friend(ship) when we treat it well. Obviously, friends can turn into frenemies – or worse. At the end of each day, I want to feel that time was well spent and that my unfinished business is still at a minimum level. And I look forward to tomorrow !
Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.
Quote from Bil Keane (1922-2011)
Culture Club – Time (Clock of the Heart) – 1982 – artists, lyrics, Wiki
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