We are overworked, underpayed, sleep deprived, and short on time – or so we claim. Social outings and personal time often become burdens slammed to the backburner, carrying the popular lament, “I just don’t have …
Why “I don’t have time” is a Detrimental Lie
Research suggests that we don’t have a realistic perspective when it comes to our use of time. For instance, one study shared that participants claimed to only get 6 or 7 hours of sleep, when time diaries showed they were actually getting more than 8 hours of sleep. Additionally, time studies have told us that when people are asked to label their week’s time, the weeks will often add up to more than 168 hours. Unfortunately, even the busiest of us have only 168 hours a week. And what we do with those 168 hours matters.
The truth is WE DO HAVE TIME, and our skewed perspective of personal time use has become detrimental. Because we think we are short on time, we end up cutting important things out of our lives. This habit has negative effects on us, our friends, our families, and even our employers.
The solution? This Wall Street Journal article suggests that you swap the phrase “I don’t have time” with “It isn’t a priority.” Something just seems horribly wrong with saying things like “Spending time with my family isn’t a priority,” right? This simple change in word use will surely have you re-evaluating your use of time.
What are some of the things for which you have said “there is no time?” Mentoring a youth? Family dinners? Exercise? Your daughter’s basketball game?
How will you spend the 168 hours you have this week?
