Freedom From Time.
Hi There,
When my father Stanley was my age, we would frequently hike together on the gorgeous horse trails of the Rockefeller Estate in Westchester County, NY. Our conversations covered as many topics as our legs covered miles, taking our minds to all dimensions of existence. We discussed life, business, challenges, joys, aspirations, frustrations, successes, dreams, and his sprained metatarsal (Dad sure had to endure his unfair share of verbal jabs about injury while aging! My older self apologizes for this, Stanley.)
On the rare occasions Stanley and I weren’t boxed in by activities and commitments, we noted the expansiveness afforded us by the luxury of time. Always having been fitness-focused, we voiced appreciation about how this freedom applied to the gym as well. When we weren’t confined by a hard stop, it served to enhance the enjoyment of the workout. The interesting wrinkle in this reality is that our workouts or walks took no longer when we weren’t under time pressure, and yet they seemed more extravagant.
This realization came to me this morning when I indulged in that mini-Mt. Taurus hike I’d mentioned two weeks ago. Although it was in the middle of a “work day”, I was in no rush. These are my favorite kinds of days— light on Zoom calls and long on workshop details and design.
When I returned home from that outing, I noticed that although my intention wasn’t to have a strenuous hike, this trek only took about 5 minutes longer than one with a more serious stride. Since DRIVEN’s 2021 Word of the Year is SPACE, I spent my post-march stretch thinking about how when I don’t feel boxed in by time, I am able to settle into my work with greater focus and intensity.
And this leaves me curious about:
1. how I can change my thinking to align with the truth about time.
2. what else gets affected when I feel constrained by time.
3. how I can set myself up for greater success due to this knowledge.
I’m also curious to learn from you. Do you feel a similar spaciousness when time is abundant? When does time surprise you? Feel free to hit “Reply” and share your thoughts.
Cheers!
-Deborah
Deborah Goldstein
DRIVEN Professionals / Forbes / Linkedin
info@drivenpros.com | LinkedIn
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