I’ve been thinking a lot lately about time. About how our culture describes time to us. Language like “I’m pressed for time.” “I need to make time to…” “I’m short on time.” “I ran out of time.” “What a waste of time.” 

I’ve thought too about the emphasis on time management. One employer sent all middle managers through time management training. All with an emphasis on efficiency and “work smarter not harder.” I recall diligently using my Franklin Covey calendar for instance. 

When life transitions bubble to the surface, we can feel all this and more about time. 

Depending upon the transition, it can feel as if we “lost” ourselves or time in the process. It can seem as if there isn’t enough time to work through problems that are erupting. The whole pace of life can seem to alter in an instant. Places where things were humming along become disrupted by whatever has happened. The pressure may be even greater to figure things out and do it quickly. 

Difficult circumstances can make time stand still or crawl by. They can make time feel as if it is fleeting. Or they can make us take a deeper look at time itself – as in, how will I live the time I have left on the earth? 

After all, isn’t our own mortality the biggest time question of all? 

Changes can bring with them opportunities for reflection. For noticing what’s been important up to this moment and considering what is significant now. Things that seemed essential no longer carry as much weight. Things that were on the edge of importance moved to the front of the line. 

It is funny how significant losses and life changes really bring things into focus. They give us opportunities to assess just what time it is. (It’s sad, too that it takes big life events to serve as wake-up calls to our lives.) 

What if it didn’t take a major loss or life event to get to reflection? What if, instead, we set aside time for self-assessment without having to be prompted into it by difficult or challenging events? What if we took time to really be with ourselves in considered ways? To be with our thoughts, to dream about the present and future, to look for things to release, and to look for what’s needed most. It may take some creativity to make space for this kind of thinking, but it is possible. 

We can choose how to spend our time mindfully. 

There are many ways to begin. From setting aside time for reflection every morning or once a week to planning it into a calendar month or year. For instance, one of my self-employed friends intentionally takes time away from the office every January. That month had proven to be her slowest – so she chose to use that downtime wisely. It became central to her process of identifying personal and professional goals for the month ahead. 

This is where a life transition coach can be a great resource. You may find in coaching an opportunity to explore the changes and challenges you are going navigating. A coach can also help you move through loss and tease out what’s important now. With a coach, you will find caring accountability as well as encouragement for moving towards wholehearted living 

What have you found to be effective ways to reflect on dreams, ideas, strategies, and solutions for big and small problems? What do you do to set aside hours for creativity? How do you hold yourself accountable?