We all have the same amount of time given to us each day – no matter our status, stage or age. But when it comes to making decisions about how to spend the time we have, it often looks as though some are richer than others. Why?
A partial answer would be that those who appear to have more time are more efficient – they get more done in the time available than most. Computers were supposed to help us save time by taking away the mundane chores. In large part, that has happened but in the process we got sloppy and have used up that “extra” time by doing things over or further analyzing a situation just because we can.
What I am now beginning to understand is that managing time is not necessarily tied to what we do or how effective we are at doing it. Rather, it is inextricably linked to WHY we do what we do.
If the purpose of earning a living is simply to earn the income needed to maintain a lifestyle, the person who has a job puts in the time needed to get the paycheque and leaves the workplace to pursue “living” on his or her terms. That person will find ways and coping mechanisms to organize the time he or she spends at the workplace such that he or she can leave on time.
An interesting follow-up with that person would be to determine how he or she spends the balance of his or her working hours – for it will be in those hours that we will see that person’s life purpose.The people who are able to dispense with chores (including earning an income) so as to dedicate time to the things that are important to them have either overtly or subconsciously uncovered their life purpose. Those people are the ones who rise before most of us to write their novel, train for the marathon or start a business. They are able to focus their time on what matters to them – and that is the ultimate and higher use of time.
Passion is the missing ingredient for the majority. Those who have it are fulfilled and able to seemingly master and manufacture the time they need to pursue their dreams.