The Illusion of Time

What is time? What does it signify? Why is it considered as unconquerable? Time being the most expensive and elusive commodity in the world, has been a fascinating concept to humanity over millenia. Time is the basis of how our world functions. From the Gregorian calendars, and changes in the seasons, to humanity's understanding of mortality and immortality, time has played a very important role in our evolution as a society. Being fleeting in nature, time has been the subject of much admiration and scorn for philosophers and academicians alike. How to utilize your time without regrets?

The other day, I was thinking to myself, "Why am I just not finding the time to relax?". I spend countless hours doing mundane things and then realize that the day is over without me having accomplished much. There are many people out there in the world who feel the same way; whether it be a shortage of time for your hobbies/passion projects, doing that assignment for school; spending time with family; or catching up with friends. Everyone feels a shortage of time. To me, time is a construct of the human mind. We have been given enough time on this planet. It is how you choose to use or see that time that makes all the difference.

I had this realization when I got to know that I have spent a total of 12,227 days on this planet. 33 years in simpler terms. But the key here is perspective. With an average human lifespan of 70 years, the age of 33 seems like a big number. Your brain tricks you into thinking that you do not have a lot of time left. And you rightfully believe that life has passed you by or is going very fast in the least. However, when you think of 12,227 days, you realize that you have had ample time on this planet to do things you wanted to do. I believe that thinking of time as days gives more purpose and urgency to our lives. More importantly, it feels that time is conquerable. So in a way, time is an illusion. It depends on how we choose to see it. If I were to have the good fortune to live for another 20-plus years or approximately 8391 days, I would feel that I can accomplish a lot and be generally content with my life thinking that I still have 8391 days left. This will lead me to be a little less stressed, take better stock of my life, and soldier on. So the important question is, how do you make good use of whatever time you have on hand apart from viewing it as days and not years? I think the below points might be of some help:

1 ) Prioritize

We have heard this word on numerous occasions. Every Time management coach will swear by the importance of getting your priorities in order. The sooner you realize and list the things of significance in your life, the earlier you will be able to take charge of those things and be content. These "things" can be family, travel, relationships, friends or even "me" time.

2) Practice Gratitude

No one likes a "know it all" or "seen it all" person. Believe it or not, some people pray to have the life that you have. Counting your blessings and being grateful in your everyday life can lead you to be more calm and content with your life and yourself. It also has many benefits like improved mood, sleep, and immunity to name a few. Also, practicing gratitude leads to better mental health and clarity which in turn leads to better usage of time.

3) Plan

Try to plan things for both the long term as well as short term. Plan all sorts of things in advance like tomorrow's meal plan; what clothes to wear to office/outing with friends, and how much to invest in order to have a comfortable retirement. Planning in advance gives you a sense of control over your environment and can make you feel confident about yourself and the task at hand. This in turn will lead to better time management and higher levels of personal life satisfaction.

In conclusion, the common phrase that "Time does not wait for anyone" is true. Whether it be days or years, what we have on hand is limited and we can't do much about it. However, what we can do is explore our relationship with time. Rather than living for tomorrow, start living in the now. However, plan for tomorrow; cut out the things you don't need in your life, and prioritize whatever means something to you. Because in the end, no one will give you a trophy for having lived your life. Remember, it is "your" life. Live by your rules and take one day at a time :)