We all know what objective time is; today is April 2^nd 08:15am, however, most of us live by our own subjective view of time. Do you find that you often use your own sense of time instead of real time?  Think about the times when you have felt that time was passing you by so slowly, perhaps you were waiting for a phone call or sitting in the doctor’s office.  On the other hand, remember when time felt like it passed so quickly, perhaps you were on holiday or at a party.

I’m sure you know the expression ‘Time flies when you have having fun’ or ‘Time crawls when you want it to go fast’.  It is understandable that we all have our own version of time sometimes, what isn’t understood by many though is how our own subjective view could be undermining our results. For example, when your own version of time is really different from the objective time, you might find yourself procrastinating as you battle between your version of time and real time.

As we grow older our subjective sense of time changes and develops. When we are born, time is simply subjective. If you want something, you want it now! Independent of objective time, it is not important. When you start to walk and become a toddler, you get your first sense of the present, the past and even the future. You begin to learn that you will have breakfast, lunch and dinner at certain hours, as well as going to school, etc

A few years pass and you are taught how to tell the time. This is really fun because you really connect how time passes, with the numbers on the clock and most children find it really empowering and exciting. Shortly after, we have the terrible teens, we all know that our teenage years are really challenging, with all the changes you go through, feeling forced to grow up at times. Procrastination comes up often at this stage, when you are a teenager because you refuse to grow up or be told what to do.

When you leave school and you are a young adult, you have a sense that you have so many years ahead, your life has just started, reality seems far away for many. Others may be slightly panicked, thinking time is running out already and they have to find a job and get going. However you perceive and manage your time at this stage is really dependant on what you are doing with your life, but normally as you reach your late 20’s, you may start to realize that time has flown by and you are nowhere near your goals.

You can’t believe how quickly time has gone and you start to question everything. What am I going to do with my life? What have I done with my time? If you have been procrastinating for a few years already, you might start to feel really depressed at this age, while others might find it is the impetus they need to make the changes they want. If you want to live a balanced life, with less stress and constant worry, learn how to manage your time and have a healthy balance between objective and subjective time.

As you start to grow even older, you can’t deny that time is running out. Manage your time effectively so that you can go about your daily activities with clarity and focus and feel like you have accomplished all you wanted by the end of the day. You will also be less stressed and frustrated and you will find that you are able to enjoy life more. Once you master your time, life suddenly feels more in flow, with lots more space for enjoyment!

If you are struggling to stay organized and to achieve your daily objectives, don’t miss out on ‘The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Time Management’

To your success!