Is Time an Illusion?
I’ve recently been rereading Gay Hendrick’s book, The Big Leap. In it he talks about the two approaches to time — Newton’s approach and Einstein’s approach. Simply said, Newton’s view is that we have a fixed amount of time. We all get the same 24 hours in a day, the same 10,080 hours in a week. Einstein’s theory of relativity posits that time is a more fluid concept in relation to what we are doing. For example, an hour waiting for medical test results feels radically different than an hour immersed in a meaningful conversation with a loved one. Yet, it’s the same 60 minutes.
From Newton’s perspective, there is a need to maximize efficiency. How can I squeeze the most productivity possible out of my limited time? The repertoire of time management techniques is framed from this point of view. These tools and techniques are helpful when it comes to managing routine, straightforward, and repetitive tasks. Where this system fails us is when we’re working through deep, complex issues.
This is where Einstein’s perspective comes into play. Different from the question of how I eke the most out of every second, a question one might ask here is, “How do I create the conditions that make time fly?” What are the things you do where you find yourself so immersed that you lose all track of time? For me, these are things like reading a good book, doing research, working on a puzzle, and engaging in an interesting conversation.
The question then becomes, how might you use those conditions to reshape how you approach your time and energy? Let’s say you’ve got a significant project, with many interdependent pieces, that you’re eager to move forward. Using Newton’s method, you might set aside time on your calendar to work on it. You might even block out a significant chunk of time to attend to it. But, simply allotting the time isn’t enough. Once that time arrives, how do you create the conditions that shift you into that flow state? If this were me, I might facilitate a brainstorming session with a few key stakeholders, or do a deep dive into researching one of the pieces, or start mapping out how the pieces of the project fit together. Take some time to notice what those things are for you.
The point is not to prescribe to one camp or the other. Rather, to be aware of and know how to leverage each approach. In doing so, you will find a cadence within your days and weeks that sees you achieving greater success with less stress.
