“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen all at once.”  Albert Einstein

I’ve been thinking a lot about time this month:

   a) How fast it moves.

   b) How little of it we all seem to have.

   c) How to solve “a” and “b.”

Perhaps it’s daylight savings time which we all suffered through this month. (Will it ever STOP?! – every year I hope it will and every year it comes back again).

Perhaps it was flying between client engagements on one side of the country to spend time with our newest grandniece all the way on the other side of the country. Not only was I dealing with the inevitable jetlag, but also the “woosh” of time as well (sound effect for speed), wondering how she got to be so big so fast before we even had a chance to meet her in person.

Or perhaps it’s coming out of a time where for many of us time stood still - the pandemic. Or the recent writing of Jenny Odell, the author of How to Do Nothing who exhorts us to live outside the clock. (“In fact, only in the gap between the present and the future is action possible.”)

Perhaps it was just so many clients thinking about how their big-picture annual “goals” were taking a back seat to the time it took to manage their everyday to-do lists. And then finding potential solutions for this through eschewing â€œthe culture of busyness.”

I believe that time can’t be managed or conquered, because when we do that we are sure to fail and feel completely stressed out by the effort. Instead, it was only when I reframed my time narrative and recognized I simply could not do everything I had on my to-do list every day, that my attitude about time changed.

And I also believe it is true that we all have the same 24 hours in a day – instead of focusing on that unit why not look to other measurements of success? (“Never mistake activity for achievement.” Coach Wooden).

What if instead of conquering our to-do list as our time measurement – we spent time every day paying attention to moving our mission ahead even a little bit every day?

I have one client who has inspired me with her newly articulated purpose: to make the world a better place every day. Even just a little bit. She does this not by crossing off everything on her to-do list by a certain time. But instead how she is showing up by being fully present, how she collaborates with others, and by how she pays attention to and lives true to her values. It doesn’t take a lot of time, but it is time well-spent and as a by-product, she feels more productive and confident than ever.

So if you are stressed that it’s already April - try these ideas to manage your own internal clock and expectations:

• Remember that balance equals choice plus priorities plus time management. Figure out the answers to each element of your own equation.
• Figure out what time you need that is non-negotiable. Family? Exercise? Meditation? Singing? (I just threw that in there for the singers who read this!) When you decide something is a must do it is amazing how you will always find the time to do it.
• Do the work to articulate your leadership mission – what I call your “how.” Knowing what you are working towards and how you want to get there will help you figure out what to focus your time on.

And remember, as Tolkein (via Gandalf) said, “All we have to decide is - what to do with the time that is given us.”

This month THE OUTLAW ONE is the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York. Yes, it’s been Women’s History Month all month this March, but I believe in celebrating women’s history all year long through my involvement in and the support of this national treasure in Seneca Falls, New York which just announced the 2023 Inductees.

Visit virtually or better yet, come to Induction 2023 - but get to know the institution that celebrates great women who have had an impact on the United States and the world with their presence. Because we need to celebrate Women’s History EVERY MONTH.

I look forward to the opportunity to work with you or your organization to grow your EDGE: Explore, Dream, Grow & Excite® and to stay connected through this newsletter.

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