HURRY HURRY HURRY

Consider these messages:
• You haven’t got time.
• Hurry up!
• You are taking too long.
• You are not quick enough.
• Finish it up
• When is it going to be ready?
• Isn’t it done yet?
• We are going to be late.
• You missed the deadline.
• It’s too late.
• How soon can you deliver it?
• Let’s go, let’s go.
• Why are you taking so long?
• It has been ages since you started.
• You are going to complete it when?
• There isn’t enough time.

How do you feel as you read them?

Now consider these messages:
• You have got plenty of time.
• Take your time.
• Relax.
• Take one step at a time
• It’ll work out
• You have got it handled
• You are doing just fine
• Your pace is just right.
• Finish it when you can
• Done already? Wow!
• We are going to be early.
• You’re right on target.
• It’s right on time.
• Let’s just take it easy.
• Take as long as you need.
• There is heaps of time.

How do you feel as you read them? There are only two kinds of feelings: comfortable ones and uncomfortable ones.  Notice which set of messages make you comfortable and which ones make you uncomfortable.

Here are two true stories that give interesting perspective on our perception of time.

There was a mining disaster in Switzerland some years ago.  One of the mineshafts collapsed trapping 16 men in a cavity.  They were all experienced and were able to work out how much oxygen they had in the cavity they were trapped in and determine how long it would last.  They only had 8 hours.  If rescue team could get to them in that time they would survive.  Otherwise they would die from lack of oxygen.  Only one of them had a watch and he started announcing how much time had elapsed.  However he did not tell the truth, two hours would pass and he would announce that only an hour had passed.  The rescue teams got to them 14 hours later.  All but one made it.  The miner with the watch had died.

In an experiment in USA, they took a bunch of healthy men and women and put them in an environment where there only had artificial light.  There was food, drinks, sports facilities, library, everything one could ask for except clocks or watches.  They could eat anything anytime, sleep any time, as long as they wanted.  However they had no idea what time of day it was.  This went on for one month.  All their activities were monitored and very valuable statistics and data were gathered.  One interesting piece is that they slept, on average 4.5 hours a day.  They felt they were sleeping 10-12 hours a day.

I am not suggesting that you spring into action and trim your sleeping hours.  What I am suggesting though is that perhaps our relationship with time is all in our minds.  If that is so, what power we have over our daily activities and their relationship with time.  Perhaps you had moments in your life where your relationship with time was different than your everyday experience.  Perhaps you were very peaceful, or in love or in awe where time stood still. Or perhaps you were rushing to get a project, homework, a task and it seemed impossible to finish it in the time you had.  But you did.  You then looked backed perhaps and said “that was close”.

Take action:

1. This is a pleasant exercise.  It is best done on a weekend or a day you have off. Cover all the clocks, watches, microwave ovens displays, video player displays, cuckoo clocks and any other time indicating device you have.
2. Do any activity you like independent of time.  You can be passive and read, daydream, paint, do a jig saw puzzle.  You can be physical and work in the garden, swim, walk, run, play a game.  What is not OK is anything that will give you the time.  For example watching TV or listening to radio would not be a good idea as they have regular news bulletins or time announcements.  However, listening to music would be a great idea.
3. Every so often, read yourself the following affirmations:
   I am here
   I am eternal
   I exist in timeless space
   I am in harmony with my past, present and future
   I am happy
   I am at peace with myself
   I am accepting myself
   I am free
4. At the end of the day, when you body feels sleepy, go to bed. 

There are many other tools and techniques we can help you with reducing pressures and stress related to deadlines and time pressures.  To find out more email us at info@wecarewelistenwehelp.com 

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