How To Stop Being A Slave To Time

“Tick-tock, click-clock, the clock counts down: on we hurry, off we scurry.”

Are you always in a rush? Never enough time to get things done?

We seem to be addicted to time. Clocks on every device we own. And of course the watches we wear to keep us “on time”.

How did we get to this place where time seems to control us?

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I’m In A Hurry to Get Things Done

“Oh my God would you hurry up!! We’re going to be late!”

Sound familiar? Have you ever said that? Maybe it has been said to you?

We’ve all known the feeling. Stuck in traffic, all in a hurry with nowhere to go–or late for work, waiting in line, expecting a call, tossing in bed, or triple-clicking the mouse over a slow Internet connection–we incessantly glare at the clock and complain. Impatience sparks frustration and finally flares into rage.

We are indeed slaves to time. The almighty clock controls us.

“The trained mind does not need a watch. Watches are a confidence trick invented by the Swiss.” – Chiun in the movie Remo Williams

Time is a Man Made Construct

Albert Einstein taught us that time is relative. Essentially, Einstein believed that time – time displayed on a clock – is created by man. It is the scientific measure we use to calculate and count passing days, months and years. The increment of one second, one minute and one hour were all decided by man.

Time controls us. You have to “be on time” for work and for school. If you are not on time there are penalties.

You are a slave to time.

The Industrial Revolution made sure of this.

Industries began to rely more on time with structured order and precision. As goods were manufactured and shipped, railroads began transporting a higher volume of goods and passengers and needed a stricter standard of time-telling. Workers needed to be in synchronization while working at factories that produced the industrial goods, so shifts developed. In order to have a functional team of workers, it was necessary to have them arrive at the same time.

“Time” as a control mechanism…interesting.

Fear and Stress

Do you wake up moments before your alarm clock goes off?

Want to know why?

Fear.

You are both conditioned to wake up and afraid of being late and missing work or other appointments.

Time, you see, is not the problem– fear is. Modern anxieties about time, its limits, and its use burden us so much that we live in mortal dread of wasted time. The fundamental premise is wrong: we cannot and must not base the conduct of our lives on fear, anger, and regret.

Lack of time in your mind create stress, anxiety, and tension. In other words, it’s going to create cortisol production in your body that makes you unhealthy, can give you a heart attack or stroke and shortens your life.

Time should not be your Master.

Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up when your body actually wants you to?

It seems we always have somewhere we are supposed to be or something we should be doing.

What is wrong with just doing nothing for a few moments?

What are we to do? How can you not be a slave to time?

What Do You REALLY Want?

If you are someone who complains that you do not have enough time to do the things you want to do, I encourage you to examine why this might be so.

Is your plate too full with activities?
Do you watch too much TV?
How much time do you spend online?
Is your current lifestyle taking time away from you?(too much stuff, too much house, too many bills)

Life should not be about just going through the motions for years on end. If you want to stop being a slave to time you have to decide on what your core values really are.

What do you really want?

This is why I decided to live a more minimalist lifestyle. Living a simple life just makes so much sense. I still have to work of course. I have bills to pay. But I have chosen to not be a mindless consumer. So this means I can work less than most people.

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This allows me time to enjoy life on my terms.