The art of timeshifting

I love the holidays and how everything seems to move slower this time of year. Work takes the backseat for friends, family, and yes even food. It's like we're 'off the clock' this week. Which can be a tremendous sense of relief for many of us time-starved individuals.

The current pace of life reminds me of a great book I read a couple years ago called Timeshifting by Stephan Rechschaffen. The author is the founder of the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York, one of my favorite places to visit.

At Omega, you are immersed in a slower pace of life. You can't help but admire the beautiful natural surroundings, savor the food, and chat up other guests you don't even know. Every time I visit I come back rejuvenated and refreshed. And here too I feel 'off the clock.'

How great would it be if we could create this same feeling without having to go on a vacation?

We all have the ability to slow down and have more time to enjoy our life. This book showed me that. Our perception of whether we have enough time or not isn't determined solely by circumstances and responsibilities.

I really like the example in the book where the author would go around to different audiences and ask a simple question: "Do you feel like you have enough time in your life?"

When he'd ask this question in Corporate America, nobody would raise their hand. I guess that's what you'd expect. These guys are paid to keep busy. If not, a 'good' boss should just give them more work. Right?

So he'd also visit prisons and ask the same question to inmates who were literally "doing time." Yet again, he'd get the same response - no time. They'd complain about the chores they'd have as well as other responsibilities. They too were victims of time poverty.

But what about those folks that said yes? Certainly there must be some folks who felt like they had enough time. Well, in the rare instance someone would raise their hand, Rechtschaffen would ask "How is your life?" And more often than not, these people had a good life. They were very happy and had plenty of time.

Without knowing, most of us have unconsciously made the choice to 'keep busy' regardless of our responsibilities. Yet this example showed me we also have the power to shift from working against the clock to going with the flow of life.

When I feel the need to 'shift time' I often go for a walk in Prospect Park, sometimes leaving the watch at home. You'd be surprised how long twenty-some minutes can seem. And how healing.

Making time for the important stuff

I hate to admit it, but I am a procrastinator. Especially when it comes to the important stuff with my business - setting up classes or sitting down to write up a long term plan. Yet, I always seem to find time to catch up on email or check my friends status updates on Facebook.

I was reminded of this paradox the other day when reviewing the book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The author, Steven Covey, talks about how all of life's activities can be divided into four quadrants, based on importance and urgency.

In quadrant 1, we have the fire drills, deadline-driven projects that requires our immediate attention and response. In quadrant 2, we have the non-pressing activities that set us up for success in the long run. In quadrant 3, we have the urgent phone calls, emails, and text messages that demand a reply. In quadrant 4, we have the time wasting, unproductive stuff (i.e. basically, most of what we do on the Internet).

For many of us, most of our time is spent in quadrants 1, 3, and 4. As a result we keep busy, but fall short of what we truly want to accomplish. According to Covey, "Quadrant 2 is the heart of effective personal management. It deals with things like building relationships, long-range planning, preventative maintenance, preparation - all those things we need to do, but somehow seldom get around to doing, because they aren't urgent."

It is important to realize this phenomenon of putting off what we truly need isn't limited to the business world. It also extends to our health and well-being.

How long have you put off going to that yoga class? Cooking a nice meal for yourself? Or contacting that well-meaning holistic health counselor, whose blog you religiously read? [Sorry, I sensed an opportunity]

Old age doesn't have to be about senility and joint pain. It can be a continuation of a great life. All we need to do is make our health a priority now. That's what I do as a holistic health counselor. I help individuals develop healthy habits for life, empowering them to care for themselves naturally.

I'm gonna put more time and energy into quadrant 2. Want to join me?

*Photo courtesy of news46 on flickr