We all (almost all of us) repeat the mantra “I don’t have time”. Despite attempts to organise ourselves better, we feel that we lack time for everything. Even during confinement, when many of us thought we had a generous supply of hours, the hours on the clock vanished. What is it about this endemic shortage of hours that ultimately stresses us out?
There is this uncodified law that says: “The time spent on any activity is inversely proportional to its importance”. It may seem shocking at first glance, but it makes sense. Lack of time is actually a lack of priorities. It is rooted in convenience, which pushes us to do what is easiest for us first. Lack of time is basically laziness: we do too many things, except the really important ones. Sometimes.
This is not only true at work, in family life or in the commitments of Christian life, but also extends to the management of free time, where we tend to fill every available hour to the brim. At the root of this is the so-called horror vacui (=horror of emptiness). Where do these fears of shaking up our schedules come from? There are three reasons that lead us to fill every available time slot:
– To soothe our conscience. We occupy all our time, on the assumption that only what is “full” is valuable. Doing nothing is irresponsible. We forget that emptiness is essential for creativity, for new ideas. How can we convince ourselves that, faced with the demands of increasing tasks, sitting down and thinking must be a priority?
– Out of vanity. There is a secret self-imposed obligation to please others or to shine before them. We fill gaps in our agenda with requests from others that do not respond to real needs. We attend to them in order to look good in front of their requirements or to show off or to hope for congratulations. We pay for these underhanded pretensions with time.
– Out of fear of ourselves. Busyness, work and social media fill not only our agenda but also our mental space, which prevents us from thinking. This frees us from asking uncomfortable questions that can be summed up in one: is this the life I want to lead? However, as Pablo Neruda warned: “Some day, anywhere, any place, you will unfailingly find yourself, and that, only that, can be the happiest or the most bitter of your hours”.
We can react appropriately. There is a space of reaction where freedom resides: Don’t respond immediately to every offer or invitation. Take your time. And don’t blame yourself for it.
Juan Carlos cmf
(PHOTO: Aron Visuals)
