Time - What Does It Mean To You?

I've been thinking a lot about time lately. How do you feel about time and what does it mean to you? Since we pretty much can't do anything without it, one could argue that time is our most precious commodity. To be honest, I feel like it's a fight against time - all of the time. I'm constantly trying to "fit in" another item to cross off of my "to do" list in the next five minutes. I also tend to have unrealistic to do lists that drive me crazy! I've started calling this propensity to create SUPER LONG "to do" lists a sickness. In actuality, the more I add to my list(s), the more stressed and worse I feel when I am unable to accomplish everything on my list.

I think this is why I dislike Sunday's the most. Sounds weird, doesn't it? So, you like the weekend to have a different sort of energy and flow, don't you? You want to relax but still be productive. Or at least I do. You wind down Friday evening, thinking about what you need to accomplish, what you would like to accomplish, etc. I personally don't like to schedule myself to the extreme, but I have an idea of when I'm going to chill and when I'm going to work. The problem comes in when I start "pushing" items from my list from Saturday to Sunday because - well, for a variety of reasons - things always take longer than you think, I end up taking more time for relaxation or time with family, I think to myself, "I can do this tomorrow." No problem.

Ah, but that is the problem. Because then tomorrow rolls around (Sunday, in this case) and my to do list is busting at the seams! I usually start out optimistic and pretty calm about it all. But as the day wears on, I find myself getting more tense and irritated with myself because I'm constantly thinking about all of the things that I'm NOT going to be able to accomplish as a result of my choices. Choices about how I spend my time. I try to go faster, which means I enjoy each task less and less because I'm less present/focused when completing the task, not to mention thinking to myself - gosh, why can't I just have all the space (or time!) in the world to get my stuff done?! Because the world doesn't work that way, now does it?

So, maybe it's just my mindset. If I think time is so limited, then time becomes so limited. If I think I have all the time in the world, then I have all the time in the world. No? Perhaps. I think shifting my mindset, coupled with a reduction in number of things I put on my to do list, would help. In the end, I feel the best and most capable at completing certain items (including things like spending quality time with friends and family) when I give myself the time and space to do so. This means that some things just don't make the list. Some things just don't get done. Maybe it's coming to terms with this?

Obviously in my work with each of you, the subject/issue of time comes up. This spring, I sat down with McNair scholars, Jared, Nicole and Darnell, and simply "talked time." I think it's a good exercise to think about how we spend our time in relation to our priorities and goals. I also think is useful to develop routines, habits, tools that help us develop a positive mindset about time and how we use it.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about time in relation to this post. How do you manage your time? Do you have any tips or tricks that really work for you? Use the comment section below to share!

Talking time.....discussion to be continued.