We were talking in one of the past episodes about time management and how sometimes time management is no longer effective. “I don’t have time, I don’t have time to do this, I don’t have time to do the other.” Do you also have the problem of lack of time? You often hear yourself saying: “I don’t have time”.
Lack of time is the chronic feeling of having too much to do and not enough time. It can happen to you once, or twice, but if you experience this feeling daily then the lack of time becomes chronic.
Throughout the ages, the greatest emphasis was placed on material well-being and less on the idea of having time, mainly because survival depended and still depended primarily on material resources.
For nothing I have time, if I have no money to be able to ensure my survival. And this way of thinking has been strongly imprinted in the collective consciousness. Increased material well-being has not automatically meant an abundance of the time we feel we have. On the contrary, lack of time in everyday work is often associated with signs of productivity, success, and status.
The very fast daily pace of solving as many things as possible in the same 24 hours only increases the feeling of lack of time. When the lack of time becomes chronic, it generates negative effects on well-being, mental health, performance at work, creativity, and the quality of relationships. What brought us here, to the point of feeling the lack of time as a burden, as a permanent stressor?
Society has evolved and with it the daily challenges we face.
The Internet, the seemingly infinite number of experiences, and the opportunity to live a multitude of lives in one are factors that influence the feeling of lack of time. When people don’t take part in all these experiences and opportunities, they end up feeling like they don’t have time to do it all. If you are already a mother, how many times have you not felt the lack of time? Especially since one click away you see people who are still building their careers, going out with friends, walking. You feel that you are missing out on chances and opportunities, so you automatically feel excluded and feel a lack of time.
Nor do the challenges in the field of work help us to feel more comfortable. Nowadays, people change an average of 10-11 jobs throughout their life, they make career changes much more often. The speed of life automatically increases the feeling of lack of time.
Another factor that can increase the feeling of lack of time is that many people tend to underestimate their time and prefer money over time. For example, how many of us question how long it takes to get to the office when choosing a job? Often the money earned matters more than the time spent daily on small activities, but which, added together, can increase the feeling of lack of time.
Lately, because people have understood that having time has a positive effect on well-being, mental health, and relationships, the idea that you can work a little and earn a lot has taken off. I haven’t discovered the miracle recipe yet, nor do I have an opinion on it. What I can say is that I still have a 9-5 job, that I work extra on my soul projects, that I prioritize the things important to me, and that I prioritize the people important to me. And sometimes I say “I don’t have time”.
However, I realized that understanding the factors that contribute to lack of time can help us pay more attention to how we allocate time to health, family, community, and work and to set clear boundaries for our betterment.
When we have time or make time, we increase our resistance to stress, we accumulate mental resources to make decisions that are right for us. How does the lack of time concretely affect us and what resources do we find in life designed to redefine the lack of time?
Lack of time affects physical health. When we have little time on our hands, we make less good, not to say bad, health decisions. We skip going to the gym, we prefer fast food, and we sleep worse and less.
Lack of time affects mental health. We constantly feel that we don’t have enough time to do everything we set out to do. Hence, stress, pressure, and mental overexertion.
Lack of time affects relationships. The extra time spent at the office will not produce well-being for the family at home. From here, it’s one more step to discussions and reproaches.
Lack of time affects performance at work. Stress and fatigue that gradually build up affect concentration and reduce the mental resources that help us make good decisions.
I propose you redraw the lack of time through 2 life design techniques supplemented with coaching questions.
1) Rephrase “I don’t have time” with “I have enough time to do the things important to me”. This way you no longer feel stuck and, at the same time, discover what are the important things for you.
Reframing is a life design technique that helps you reinterpret situations and personal experiences to find new perspectives and opportunities. Thus, you will see things from a different angle. In this case, “I don’t have time” leaves you with no solutions.
But saying “I have enough time to do the things that are important to me” challenges you to look at your situation from a different angle and discover new perspectives.
3 coaching questions that could help you find out what is important to you:
- What unforeseen thing would you prioritize today no matter how full your day is?
- What would you do if you had 3 more hours a day?
- What are the activities that energized you today?
2) Build a log of activities. In life design, the purpose of an activity journal is to help you understand and evaluate where you are directing your time and energy. You will monitor how you spend your time daily. This way you will identify those activities that consume time and take away your energy. You will discover patterns of behavior and habits, some positive, and some negative. You’ll discover those opportunities for improvement so you can make informed decisions to optimize your time.
Write down every day:
- Date: Calendar day.
- Time: The time interval for each activity.
- Activity: Description of the activity carried out.
- Duration: Time spent on each activity.
- Energy level: How you felt during the activity (eg energized, tired, creative).
- Satisfaction level: The degree of satisfaction you felt (eg from 1 to 5).
- Notes: Additional observations, thoughts, or reflections about the activity.
2 coaching questions that could help you figure out how to redraw your lack of time based on your activity log:
What are the activities that take up a lot of time but bring little satisfaction?
How can you reduce or eliminate them?
If you have any other questions about how you can use these techniques, don’t hesitate to write me. I’m waiting for you next week as well.
With love, Raluca ❤️
Reference: nature.com
