“Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind.”
― Nathaniel Hawthorne

This week, we’re talking about one of the most precious resources we have at our disposal (if not the most precious resource) in our Beyond Your Default journeys, and that is time.

If we were forced to define our relationship with time on Facebook, it would 100% be “it’s complicated.” Too often, we feel at a deficit with time, desperately wanting more of it, and never seeming to have enough of it. In fact, six in 10 Americans say they already don’t have enough time in a day to get everything done.

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On the other extreme, then there are those seasons of waiting for what we want to happen most, and then all we seem to have is time. Excruciating stretches of time where we wait for life to begin. Time also comes under greater scrutiny when you start looking at your life purposefully and saying, “I need to make changes to grow the way I need to.”

Think about the previous topics we’ve discussed where this couldn’t be more apparent:

• Rethinking the time we have at our disposal for a powerful and purposeful morning routine that will help us start our days in the best way possible.
• Why seasons of waiting can kill you, where you curse how much time you have at your disposal if you don’t learn how to re-prioritize the small things in life.
• Being present in this moment in time.
• Or heck, going back to the very beginning of this podcast, understanding the power of timing and how it can impact your life.

⚡ Go Deeper: How to embrace an owner's mentality in your own life

All of these conversations force us to put time back under a microscope. And yes, the conversation around time is a complex one. So in this first episode about time, we’re going to lay the foundation for completely rethinking how we define, think about, and talk about it. Because when you make changes internally around those three areas, you’ll be surprised by what becomes possible.

As William Penn once said, “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.”

I think it’s time we change that.

In this conversation, George and I discuss the complexities of our respective relationships with time, the feeling of not having enough time, and the excruciating stretches of waiting. We emphasize the need to redefine how we think about and use time, and the impact it has on our past, present, and future. 

⚡ Go Deeper: Victim vs. Victor Mentality: Knowing + Living the Difference

George and I also talk about the importance of mindfulness and energy management in maximizing our time, as well as the idea of living our lives as a story that we write along the way. We also examine the different ways we can define and think about time, and how our relationship with time can shape our well-being.

We end our conversation by delving into the power of language and how the words we use to talk about time can influence our perception and behavior. Finally, George provides practical ways to rethink our relationship with time and make positive changes in our lives.

Topics We Cover

time, relationship with time, gratitude journal, Fast and Furious, waiting, mindfulness, energy management, time, narrative, control, mindset, language, perception, well-being, priorities, reflection, goals, time wasters

Takeaways + Highlights

• Time is a precious resource that impacts all aspects of our lives.
• Our relationship with time can be complicated, with feelings of not having enough time and long stretches of waiting.
• Redefining how we think about and use time can lead to a more fulfilling life.
• Mindfulness and energy management are key to making the most of our time.
• Being aware of the seasons of life and architecting our own story can give purpose to our time. We are the authors of our own lives and have the power to shape our narrative.
• The way we define and think about time can impact our relationship with it.
• The language we use to talk about time can shape our perception and behavior.
• Prioritizing and focusing on essential tasks can help us make the most of our time.
• Reflecting on how we use our time and setting clear goals can lead to personal and professional growth.
• Identifying and minimizing time wasters can free up time for more meaningful activities.