How many times do you hear people say they don’t have time to do something? All the time! ‘I meant to do that but I didn’t have time!’ is something we say or think far too often; it is the number one excuse for not doing something we should have done.
This is a relationship which has also changed a lot through history. Think about all the machines and time-saving gadgets that are now a part of our everyday life that people living 100 or even 50 years ago had to do without; washing machines, vacuum cleaners, microwaves and dishwashers are just a few. We have mobile phones now so that we can contact each other at any time no matter where we are, the Internet gives us access to just about any information we could possibly want as well as providing instant communication with other people anywhere in the world.
The idea of ’using time efficiently has become increasingly important in the Western world. People in wealthy developed countries are often expected to do several jobs at once. At a time when unemployment is high and international competition is strong, there is a lot of pressure on companies and individual workers to be as efficient as possible and to get as much work done as possible in the limited time available.
This concept of time pressure has also been passed on to the less developed countries where many of the goods for developing countries are made. In places like India and Mexico people often have to work very long shifts, sometimes as much as 12 to 16 hours a day, or even for 48 hours without a break. Goods have to be produced to meet demand in the developed world and this demand puts a lot of pressure on workers. Time is increasingly becoming a commodity like any other.
Do you use the self service check out in the supermarket? Have you bought furniture and then assembled it yourself at home? Have you spent time setting up a new computer? If you have then you have been working for free. It is possible to buy and sell time these days. For example, you can pay someone else to do your shopping for you or walk your dog for you if you don’t have time, but it won’t be cheap. A positive reflection of how our relationship with time is changing is that in some cities there are things called time banks where you can exchange time with other busy people.
You will then be paid back in time when you need it. No money changes hands but everyone has to pay into the bank in time. The biggest challenge we face in our personal lives is how not to waste time and make the most of the time we have. According to recent research, 20% of people regularly cancel social arrangements because of a lack of time and men do this more often than women. However, cancelling social arrangements can have a serious negative impact because it reduces our quality of life; it can stop us doing what we want, which can lead to unhappiness.
This doesn’t have to be something active or sociable; it might be finding time to read a good book. By making sure we don’t miss out on the things we enjoy and value we are likely to be happier and more satisfied with life in general.