Losing time
Losing time. Have you ever had that feeling when you lose track of time? I for one sure do. It happens when I am so deep into the thing that I am working on. This happens usually when I play the guitar and the sound and notes I want to make just jive in my ear and get me lost in the moment.
It also happens when I am at work doing a report or analysis that racks my brain trying to figure out what the data mean and how I could present it in a story that someone who does not have a background about what it is all about.
On the contrary, there are also times when the world is moving so slowly that I just wanted the day to end. The feeling of boredom or sometimes the feeling of just restarting the day makes me feel that long hours were wasted doing nothing.
This actually made me think about what time is all about. This is not an expert opinion. This is just a thought based on how I see we experience it.
Time is an illusion
For me, time is a marker for anything that moves. When there is movement, time moves. Imagine this, if everything down to the tiniest particles that make up electrons, protons, and neutrons are not moving, time stands still. There would be no one or anything saying that we paused for a certain amount of time. Once everything moves, then time starts marking again. I think it is all about movement.
So when we are doing something that takes all of our focus, we lose track of time as it continues to mark along with our movements. When we stop with what we are doing, we realize that a lot of hours had passed. And since others are moving too, there is a high chance we missed something we were supposed to do or to be.
When we are doing nothing, it felt like time slowed down. Since we are almost at a standstill while everything is moving around us, the feeling of time is slowly passing is present. It feels forever given that time continues to mark while we do not do anything.
Adding up to this, nothing can move backward. Nothing can grow young or reverse the action done. It is impossible. This means no one can really travel back in time. As the movements that make the changes are what time marks. With this, no one can also go into the future because, well, the movements now are the only ones dictating time.
Which now brings me to the article I read about Fiji time.
Present is all there is
Fiji Time is the notion of getting things done, eventually, without the stress of time. The word eventually is critical here. It is the core definition of the term Fiji Time.
The article mentioned about not strictly following any schedule but the activities will happen. It is observed in Fiji, obviously, with people there doing their activities within a certain scheduled time, not exact time. I haven’t been there but would like to try.
My key takeaway is that this concept is about living in the moment and making time work for us. What can happen will happen, according to the Greek philosopher Diodorus (or this can also be attributed as one of Murphy’s laws), could sum this up.
Doing what we want
We all look into maximizing our time. I even wrote about scheduling tasks through time-boxing, knowing priorities, and using time with those important to you. All of these are still good and I still believe in it however, there are times that I would just like to stop following my routines and schedules and just do what I feel like doing at the moment.
The world will continue to move on its own. Other people will stick to their own schedules and be productive as much as they can. The fear of being left out while others move pushes us also to go with the flow and sometimes it could hurt us. Of course, we have to respect other people’s time and as much as possible, our activities should somehow coincide with theirs so it does not negatively affect what they are doing.
However, if your activities are your own and in effect, your time is your own, it would not create any significant impact on anyone. And if you do as you please without hurting anyone, wouldn’t you be able to live a life of your own design making you happier?
I think this could help us live a more fulfilled life.
Maximizing our time is a common pursuit in the fast-paced world we live in. I’ve previously discussed various strategies to achieve this, such as time-boxing tasks, understanding and setting priorities, and dedicating time to those who matter most in our lives. These methods are undoubtedly effective and remain beliefs I hold firmly. Yet, there are moments when the urge to break free from the constraints of routines and schedules becomes overwhelming, prompting a desire to simply act on what feels right in the present.
The relentless march of time waits for no one. As the world spins on, people around us adhere to their meticulously crafted schedules, striving for peak productivity. There’s an underlying fear of falling behind, of being left in the dust while everyone else surges ahead. This fear often propels us to join the relentless current, even when it may not serve our best interests.
Respecting others’ time is a societal expectation, and ideally, our actions should align with theirs to avoid causing disruption. But what happens when our activities are solely our own? When our time belongs only to us? In such scenarios, our actions bear little consequence on others.
Imagine living freely, guided by your own desires and without causing harm. Such freedom allows us to craft a life uniquely ours—a life that could potentially be more joyful and fulfilling.
Embracing this philosophy might just be the key to a richer, more satisfying existence. It’s about finding balance—knowing when to plan and when to let spontaneity take the lead. It’s about recognizing that while structure is valuable, so too is the freedom to live authentically according to our own whims.
In conclusion, while structure and planning have their place, there’s also immense value in occasionally stepping off the beaten path. By doing so, we open ourselves up to new experiences and ways of living that can lead to greater happiness and fulfillment.
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