Is time managing you, or are you managing your time?

Stop the clock! It's time to relax!

Let’s face it, time is pretty much the only thing which we can’t buy. Like the best jams, time is only ever home-made. I’ve been struggling for time recently, as work seems to be like buses and it all comes in at once. I find myself running from project to project, wondering how it’s all going to come together.

And yet, it always does. I’ll start out at the beginning of the week wondering how it can be possible that one single person can undertake so much work, and then slowly it seems to get ticked off until the weekend arrives and I can breathe out (a bit).

This is why the blog has not been updated as much as I would like. With a new book soon coming out, and proofreading to be done, and morning sickness to contend with and a myriad other small things which all add up to a reduction in time, I wonder if there is a way to slow down the rush of minutes and claim some back?

As small business owners time is the one thing which we can’t control. Or can we? I decided to experiment.

Instead of panicking this week, I’ve tackled things systematically. My lovely husband has been taking over the domestic side of things, leaving me to focus upon Stilus. I have a wonderful writer on hand part-time to help out with certain projects, and she gives me some much-needed breathing space.

Last night, I left some work unfinished and went to bed earlier than usual, waking up this morning to tackle it before the deadline. It got done. I’m now elated because it shows that sometimes time can become elastic, stretching when you need it the most. The only occasions when this doesn’t happen is when you are trying to catch a train, as at that point time gets sneaky and shoots forward at ninety miles per hour.

Anyway. My point is, regardless of how much we think we can’t control time, I believe that we can. We have the ability to juggle projects, prioritise, put things off which are not so important and even (shock of shocks) catch up on sleep. Sometimes, just as life can be kind, time slows down a little and lets us catch our breath.

Have you noticed the moments when time slows down? Daydreaming is a great example. A few seconds staring out of a window at a rainy day and we lose ourselves to another memory, and time stretches out before us. Time drags before something exciting is about to happen, or at work when the hour between three and four in the afternoon becomes interminable.

I’m not going to quote Heidegger here, but I do think it’s worth remembering the moments when we can slow or speed time to suit our needs.

I can’t believe it’s nearly half past ten already. I’m off to work again now…