Time doesn’t pass, it cycles.
Thinking of time as linear, as passing by and expiring, gets me stuck. It creates an artificial time pressure where I feel like I have to do more and more with less and less time. It gets harder to prioritise. Time “slips” and when things looks like they’ll be late, I try to do more to make up for it. I end up “playing catch up.” And all of this worsens my working and mental environment.
This is worth some reflection. This linear way of thinking is common in Anglo-Germanic cultures. It has its benefits, like being “on-time” and helping coordinate people, but it also creates chronic and needless stress. In other cultures, time isn’t seen the same way. There’s a greater emphasis on how the natural laws of the world play out in cycles: days, seasons, and generations.
Thinking of time as cyclical, like seasons or rhythm, allows me to start small. It allows me to give something a try and see how it goes. I can improve it later. I can build on it next time. I start to see a project, not as a one-off, depending on me, but as a living thing, going into the world to be used by people. It’ll grow up, it’ll change and mature. I keep my attention on that, rather than on my deadline. I feel part of something bigger and that helps pull the work from me. I get it out there and let it grow.
Carmen, you’re clearly growing and forging ahead to do greater and greater things! Can’t wait to see what the next 3 years brings us.
This is a excerpt from Decision Hacks, a short book I’m writing on decision-making.
