Time. Tick tock, tick tock. It is technically fixed but moves at a different rate for everyone.
We all know it gets faster the older you get. We all know it gets slower when you are waiting.
It’s not time that changes. It is perception of time. And perceptions change according to priorities. Let me illustrate that with two examples:
- My young son experiencing a mass at a Catholic cathedral.
- A visit by the Local Authority during to the headteacher during Covid.
Example 1
Noah leans over during mass and asks in an appropriately hushed voice:
“Daddy, it’s fire?”
“No, it’s called incense.”
“What’s that smell?”
“Incense.”
The bell is rung for Holy communion. Noah watches the bell then asks in a VERY LOUD VOICE full of hope,
“Noah’s turn maybe?”
Example 2
Headteacher during Covid, significant staff absences and dealing with everything and anything (as Headteachers do). At this moment, I am literally up to my elbows in a drain trying to unblock the crap. It is the date of the Local Authority visit. It is obvious that now is NOT a good time but that’s the headteacher’s perspective. Other people’s agendas work on an alternative prioritisation scale and therefore time is measured differently.
Time is a matter of perception.
In both cases, the priorities of how time was spent is the determining factor. Time itself is fixed. The perception of time is what changes.
As a leadership, life, and career coach with an extensive background in education, I often hear prospective clients say, “I don’t have time for coaching.”
These are professionals who are lost or stuck at a crossroads, desperate for a way to move forward to find their right path.
But the sad truth is that those who say, “I don’t have time” are really saying,
“I am not prioritising my time on coaching. I am not desperate enough right now.”
It’s fine. Everyone has a different perception on time and that is determined by our agendas.
How to use time to change.
I make time available for only 6 clients in any given month. I do not change that to “make time” for the 7th person who asks for coaching – they will have to wait because my time is given 100% to my 6 clients to ensure they achieve real results.
You can prioritise your time however you like according to your own agenda.
If you REALLY want to change, you will find time.
No time like the present.
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