Everyone has felt the longing for more time.
To finish reading, cook, play, or anything we could not fit into our schedule.
There are two ends to this spectrum.
On the one hand, we have the kind of person who slacks; “There will be plenty of time in the future”, then the future comes, and we realize our error.
On the other hand, someone tries as hard as he can to pack into a single hour the impossible, to control every variable possible. He may be said to use as much time as he has, but how much is enjoyed?
The perception of time becomes the problem because we don’t know how much is left available, or trying to squeeze every last second defeats its purpose. What is at risk is the misuse of a resource we can’t get back.
The Slacker Archetype
There are plenty of comforts; a warm couch, an endless feed of images and videos tailored to ourselves, a vast source of information about anything and everything, the internet, so any question or curiosity can be extinguished almost immediately.
Then we have the thing we need to get done; we recognize there is something of value for us in it, but it requires effort. If we consider time abundant, we could struggle later, right?
So we choose comfort. We keep choosing comfort until we realize there is no time left. The opportunity may be still within reach, or forever lost.
The problem is an unrealistic perception of how much time we have.
The Workaholic Archetype
Such a character’s focus is on what is next, living in a future that has to come but it’s not present yet.
We hope for the most convenient scenario so that our tasks are not impeded; no traffic, no rain, no noise, and concentration must be at its peak.
It is dark outside, but the to-do list is far from over.
It follows a feeling of not meeting a certain quota.
The problem is an unrealistic perception of how much can be accomplished within a time frame.
Inevitably, if we rush a cake it will be charred.
Rejecting the idea of such limitation prevents us from preparing for the conditions we have to work with. We will have to prioritize some tasks and discard others.
The Interception
One approach is too loose, the other is too tight.
These seeming opposites converge into one mistake; a wrong perception of time.
The first believes time will never run out, or doesn’t think about time at all, so actions don’t have any weight.
The other, while having admirable traits like tenacity or discipline, is prone to burnout. Time is regarded as scarce, but what if in the process to make the most of our time, we set ourselves a pace we can’t sustain? How much our ability to enjoy life is affected?
Comfort and effort are no evils. Awareness of what our actions cause is what must catch our attention. In both ends of the spectrum we will find consequences if taken to the extremes.
Consider time as a limited resource
Time, like a sane mind, is invaluable.
As so happens with many things in life, we fail to realize the value of something until it is no longer within our grasp.
Should we then wait for wrinkles and gray hair to appear before we become aware of the passing of time?
Old age is a symptom of time lived, not time left.
Life is unexpected, beautiful yet fragile. There is no way to assess time, so we are left with the doubt of how much there is. We could make plans and arrangements, but usually, it does not go our way.
Under such light we should ask ourselves, how are we using time? Is this how we would like to spend it?
Take a side
This is a call for considering the value, and observing our use of time.
The reality of our allotted time is harsh only because we decide to elude that fact, but it does not make it less natural. Such a notion is around us.
We see bright flowers blooming where none were before, watch them grow, and extend their petals toward the light. Then one day we discover signs of decay, the intense golden color becomes brownish, and the petals fall. And now there is none where there was something before.
It can be a moment of panic at such an idea, and we may flee and forget about the discussion. Or it can be the moment when we try to savor each second to the fullest, perhaps not at once but each day become more comfortable with the idea of our humanity.