A sentiment I hear a lot (and I must admit I am guilty of feeling this from time to time) is how fast time is flying by. I remember being in school and I could NOT wait until I was done. Time trickled by… tick… tock! Now I sometimes can’t believe how fast days seem to go by.
We live in a do more with less work environment, and an immediacy of getting results society. Just think about the last time you heard an email or text chime. Did the curiosity kill you and you just had to check it? Or how about waiting for a computer to load? If you measure the time passed it is often only a few to several seconds.
When I took some time to really look at why I felt time was flying by, I found that my concern wasn’t so much that the days were ticking by quickly, but that I felt that I didn’t live those days to the fullest. They blurred together in a recollection of hazy days and months, and even years.
All too often it takes a jarring event to get us to rethink how we look at time. It seems terribly sad that we need to be reminded of enjoying our time here on this planet through a tragic story of illness or a death that came too soon.
Guess who has control over the fret of time flying by? Yep. You!
When time is flying by we tend to be focusing on larger chunks of time – weeks, months, years. To make the most of life, focus on the moments. Take the time to enjoy the moment. This takes quite a bit of effort surprisingly. We are no longer wired to slow down. We are looking ahead before we are done with what we are doing now.
Tips on how to make the most of the moment:
- Make a list of little things that bring you peace and relaxation. Make the time for a bubble bath. Read a few pages in front of the fire. Savor a cup of coffee on the deck enjoying the view. Take in the sunset. Each of these can be accomplished in 30 minutes or less. If carving a half an hour out of day is too difficult, some self-assessment is most likely needed on what is important and truly valuable in your day.
- Take the time for a walk. Again, it does not have to take a large amount of time. 30 minutes of walking a day is not only good for your body, it is good for your mind. Make sure to enjoy the views! Don’t be thinking about “all the stuff” you need to do when you get back!
- Write for 15 minutes a day. As you write, add 3-5 bullet points of this you are grateful for in your life. Feeling gratitude slows down your brain. It enables the mind to focus on one thought at a time.
When you feel the rush of life upon your shoulders, train yourself to stop and just take in the moment. Just stopping and being present in the moment will create a shift in your mind. It will relieve stress and reset your mental view to be able to focus more clearly. Things will settle into a realistic order and stop you from getting overwhelmed.
Focusing your mind on the moment will create memories at a detailed level. As you develop these memories you won’t get lost in the blur of time. You will be able to recall specific instances. Now when asked: “Do you live each day to its fullest?” you can say yes!
Hi Lynn. You and I share the same middle name. I love the title of your blog. Thriveology. What a concept!
I admit that living in the moment is not something I was good at for a good part of my life. I do it a lot more, now that I am in the autumn of my life. My only fret is that in the long view my life is nearly over, and sometimes I really hate that! There is so much I want to see, do, and feel.
When I see young parents that are running around like chickens with their heads cut off, I always tell them to take the time to enjoy their children. They are gone so fast. My oldest granddaughter is heading toward her 16th birthday, and it seems only yesterday that my daughter was a little girl.
Thanks for reminding us that life is not all about go, go, go. We really do need to stop and smell the roses.
All the best,
Leslie
Thank you for the comments Leslie. All the more to reason to enjoy every moment to live life to its fullest! 🙂 And you can continue to do all you want to see, do and feel to the max.
I call those “make the most of the moment” tips Reality Breaks. Not that work and the rest of the chores we do aren’t part of real life. The routine of doing them can put me in a bit of a haze of non-attention, just going through the motions and not being really grounded in the moment. Thanks for reminding me to take time to pay attention. 🙂
Visiting you via the UBC on G+
Thanks for the visit Theresa! I love that – Reality Breaks.
This is so true. We all need a reminder to take a breath in this fast-paced modern life.
It is a little strange how we forget to take that breath. But the benefits are wonderful when we do it! Thanks Suzanna!
Another tip – unplug for a while. Don’t take your music everywhere and don’t be on the computer endlessly. Turn off the TV. Do one thing at a time. Be present in the thing you are doing, not in such a hurry to move on to the next thing.
Great tip Jeanne! Completely unplugging has become so uncomfortable for a lot of folks. This would allow us to tune back in to ourselves.
“We are no longer wired to slow down. We are looking ahead before we are done with what we are doing now.” You are SO right! That is what I am working on now. Slowing down and enjoying each moment.
That is great Anna! It is so easy for us nowadays to go from 0-120 mph so quickly in our day and just keep going. It is sometimes hard for us to slow down. It does take effort. And the more we practice it, the easier it becomes.
Great tips…I think I try and squeeze every minute out of the hour to do the things that I enjoy doing! Thanks for sharing!
That is awesome Vanessa! Key point is enjoying! You can fill your day with memories of moments instead of the haze!
So true it seems like the older we get the faster time flies by! All to often I get home from work and its instantly 7pm and time to settle down for the night! You are so right it is important to slow down and take a break! Everything doesn’t have to be done “NOW”! Rather its more important to cherish the moment and enjoy life!