Time Moves Too Damn Fast – My Thoughts on the Good Life
My Biggest Problem
Time is definitely my biggest problem. There’s too little time. Time moves too damn fast.
The Pink Floyd song “Time,” from Dark Side of the Moon, accurately reflects my feelings:
“And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it’s sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again”
The days fly by. The older I get, the faster time seems to go.
I can hardly believe:
- My son is 2
- I’m almost 37
- New Year’s was 4.5 months ago
Time whizzes by. Life is very short. I’ve found many people relate to this. But everyone seems to experience time in their own unique way.
Time is Limited
From my perspective, one lifetime doesn’t seem like enough. Even 1000 lifetimes wouldn’t be enough. I’d love to have endless time with family, with friends, with nature, and enjoying the many pleasures of life. I won’t speculate here about the possibility of an afterlife; that’s a topic for another day.
On a smaller scale, the days are too short. 24 hours isn’t enough to get it all done. My to-do list always exceeds my time limits. Time is too sparse. I constantly want more time to work, blog, sleep, optimize finances, clean house, have fun, linger with loved ones, and get all the details in order. I’m kind of obsessed with time management, and I’m good at it, but I have room for improvement. Time is squirrelly and difficult to tame.
There’s nothing I can do to change the nature of time. Our days are limited. Our lifespans are limited. The opportunity to create a positive legacy is finite. All I can do is graciously accept this reality.
Just Take Each Day as It Comes
All time is valuable. I recognize some lives are truly short. Some lives are filled with hardship. But I trust that all lifetimes are beautiful and infinite in a way.
I recently helped a 109-year-old man celebrate his birthday. Even at 109, he still enjoys life. I’d love to live to a healthy 109. I asked this man if he had any advice for living a long and happy life. He said, “just take each day as it comes.”
His advice was simple. But it makes sense to me. It reminds me of my all-time favorite quote:
“The best insurance for a satisfactory future is to handle the present moment well.” -John A. Schindler MD in How to Live 365 Days a Year
So if you handle the present moment reasonably well, you can relax and enjoy greater odds of a good future. Quality over quantity. The present moment is powerful. It’s all we really have. Certain moments are especially important. What we do today can result in good things today, in the future, and long after we are gone, when only our legacies are left.
Time is Flexible
Paradoxically, occasionally time feels abundant. Sometimes time seems to move slowly. Like when we were young. Or when we want to accomplish a big goal in a hurry. This quote puts it in perspective:
“Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.” –Earl Nightingale
So even if your daunting but worthwhile goals will take years to accomplish, you might as well be patient, stay in the moment, and put in the work. Your future self will be glad. I’m convinced of this.
Overall, I prefer time to move slow. I almost never wish time to speed up. I do wish to minimize unpleasant experiences, but that’s a separate issue. In general, I like to enjoy the moments as they pass.
Grateful for Time
But most of the time, the minutes, days, weeks, months, years, and decades move at a fast pace. I don’t expect my perception of time to slow down. I’ll just hang on tight to this quickly moving train, and enjoy the ride.
Time remains my biggest problem. The duration of our lives is limited and unknown. I accept this as part of the package deal of being alive.
I’m incredibly grateful for the time I do have. I’ll continue to make the most of the moments of my life.
Nice piece as always! I agree in that there sometimes doesn’t seem like there’s enough time in the day to get everything that you want accomplished. Time is definitely flexible and it’s important to handle the present well. On a sidenote that’s really cool that you got to meet someone that’s 109 years old, not many of us can say that!
Hi Brandon, thanks for your thoughts on time. Yes, the 109-year-old man lives nearby me. I gave him a Moonstuck chocolate bar for his birthday. I asked him if he likes chocolate, and he said, “I like everything.” He is seriously a role model. I hope to also live to be a delightful centenarian someday, and I wish you the same!
But no matter the duration of our lives, I’m just happy we are alive right now! 🙂
This is so true!!! I often find myself MAD at how little time there is. You’re right though, living in the present moment is really important. I’m working on it, but it’s hard!
Hi Erica, I hear you! I bet you’ll relate to this: Becoming a parent has made me acutely aware of the quick speed of time. It’s alarming how quickly babies turn into toddlers. I’m doing my best to live in the present moment too and milk it for all it’s worth.