Wait, has it already been 4 weeks? About the preciousness of time.
If this is what came to your mind when seeing my post, I assure you, it is the same for me! It has almost been three weeks since my last story about my Week 1 experiences of the Social Sabbatical (apologies for the silence since then), and now I am writing to you about its end already.
We all know that time tends to fly. Especially when we are busy and enjoy ourselves. For the past 4 weeks, this was most certainly the case for me. We spend many hours working, giving our best to create value for our host client. We also spend a lot of time together as a group of 12 colleagues from all over the world, eating and drinking together, listening to each other and helping each other out. And of course, we also had some time to travel and enjoy the beauty of Indonesia.
And then suddenly, the last day is here. We present our recommendations, go for dinner, and say goodbye to colleagues who have become friends.
Time as a liability.
The first week felt like three — and the last three like one. Have I been ‘warned’ about this? — Yes. Did I comprehend it? — I guess not.
When we started this experience, we knew exactly how many days we would have. 4 weeks seems a lot. But after accounting for the time it takes to understand what is going on, a public holiday, an amazing field trip to Yogyakarta, and the final presentations, there is actually not that much left. Suddenly, time can feel like a liability, as there is so little, and so much to do.
At this point, I was stressed. Much time felt wasted, for example when we got stuck in Jakarta traffic, taking 1:40h for a 9km commute (yes, you read correctly, that’s an whooping 5.4km/h on average). Or when our weekly team meeting took twice as long as planned. There was so much I wanted to do for our host client but it felt like I just couldn’t move fast enough.
Time as an asset.
As the days went by, the experiences I made taught me a different perspective. I started to see that we were making an impact, even before delivering our final results. Our host organization valued our input and recommendations and even implemented some of them immediately. Also, I saw that they always took the time we asked for, even when they were busy. Our conversations and input — the time we spent with them — was already creating value.
Even our commute was immensely valuable in hindsight. Going there, we had time to discuss the plan for the day, and on the way back we reviewed and shared our thoughts. We bonded during this time, also talked private matters, and we got to see a lot of the city. The time in the car became an asset for us.
Another experience that stuck with me was our field trip to Yogyakarta. The local team of YRE was very dedicated to provide us with an amazing experience, sat down with us for hours and even spontaneously ran a team building event with us! These people are busy and have a lot of work to do, but no one was rushing or cut us short for any reason. I felt an amazing appreciation and respect as people dedicated so much time for us.
And then we got to meet with beneficiaries of YRE. As if the experience in itself wasn’t heartwarming enough, it also taught me the value of time. Maybe we could have delivered most of our work without actually meeting these farmers, could have spent more time on another PowerPoint slide or two. But these moments made us realize the immense impact YRE has and the reason why we are here. This was invaluable. These incredibly friendly and welcoming people took their time and invited us to their home, provided us with food and drinks, sat down with us and answered all our questions. They valued our presence, and so did we. What a precious experience. Afterall, it is not just about what you spend your time on, but also what you take from it. These moments made me realize this.
Time as the most valuable thing.
Clocks run slower in other parts of the world. At least that’s the German reading. Maybe it should be ‘Clocks [sometimes] run too fast in our part of the world’. Because when we are so busy that time goes by without notice, we are missing out. Instead, we should always be aware that time is the most valuable resource we have, and treat it accordingly. This is not to say that we should merely try to be more efficient and squeeze even more out of our already busy days to ‘make the most’ of our time. It’s about spending — better, dedicating — it consciously. It’s about being present. When you think about something else, that’s when you are wasting time. But when you dedicate yourself to the ‘here & now’, it is never wasted.
My Social Sabbatical is already over. It has been an unforgettable experience which I am forever grateful for. It has changed my reality, the way I look at the world. It has brought me new friendships, experiences, and memories I’ll never forget.
It went by quickly, but I always tried my best to consciously be there in each moment with all the amazing people I got to know. It has been a great reminder of how precious time is, not just in special moments, but also in everyday life. Too often we ask ourselves the same question: “Wait, has it already been that long?”
Terima Kasih.
Stay curious! It’s too boring to stick to what you already know ;)
