I am a slave to my schedules. Partly because of so called autistic tendencies I do possess, but it works well for what I do for a living. I work for a tire wholesaler in the middle of the United States and we make money by delivering tires. My work is consumed with scheduling trucks into the facility, keeping our delivery trucks on schedule so tire deliveries are made with uncanny precision. If I were to be without my watch for a day I would be totally lost. I even look at the clock on my wall during my lunch hour to see if I am on schedule!
I have an unnatural love affair with clocks. It was pointed out once by a friend that I always have a clock where ever I am at to look at. I have at least one in every room of my house, on the dash board of my truck, on my wrist. I can't explain this compulsion / infatuation with what time is it, but it fascinates me. I find I am even thinking about time and schedules when I should be just relaxing.
When I finish writing for the evening I hit the word count button and see how much I wrote. I don't have a preset ideal as to how much I need to write everyday as of yet, I am usually more worried about just making sure I write something every day. Sometimes it is only a paragraph, sometimes it is a whole chapter which for me generally translates to three to four thousand words at least. I then begin calculating in my head how many words I have for the entire book. I divide that by the number of days I have been working on the project to get an average of words per day. I then divide 120 thousand (a made up target) by the average per day, then subtract the days I have already spent. Looking at a calendar I can estimate a projected date for finishing the rough draft of the current book.
There are many different ways to figure this and none of it really matters because tomorrow night I might work on my other book and I haven't adjusted the math to determine the time for both to be done considering I am working on two at the same time. I like working on at least two because the way I write myself into corners, I have to either think my way out of it or go back and rewrite myself down a different path. So sometimes I get stalled doing additional research, thinking about "Why would they do that?" "What would make them go there?" When I am stalled I can write on the other story until I can get myself unstuck, and then return to it later. It is like driving down two lane roads as opposed to one lane roads, you have room to maneuver around obstacles which may slow your progress.
Time is a man made concept. It changes depending upon where you are at. It moves slower the faster you move, or the higher you get. Let me rephrase that! It doesn't mean getting stoned makes you age slower; it just makes you think slower and destroys your short term memory which will ultimately affect your long term memory. But if you're at a higher elevation the passage of time on your watch or clock will be slower than at sea level. So it changes depending upon where you are at and what you're doing. Not enough that anybody could ever tell, the changes are extremely minuscule.
How time passes seems different depending upon what you are doing. Have you noticed how you feel about what you're doing somehow effects how your body perceives the passage of time. I sure everybody has experienced this effect. As I get older the years seem to fly by, so I really work at adjusting my focus on work, writing, time spent with my family in such a manner that it slows down the perceived passage of time. When I focus consciously on slowing time down and enjoying the things I am doing it seems as if I get way much more stuff done in less time. I have more fun with my family. Get more written in less time. When you're in a rush or panicked time flies, you feel out of control. You have no control over time, only your feelings, so relax and enjoy everything you have to do, and slow down, focus, relax. Be amazed at the change you can control.
We all have an internal clock and thermometer. Did you know that? I can tell myself what time I want to wake up from a nap or in the morning and I wake up at that time. It takes practice, and doesn't work if you add extraneous conditions into the equation. Which means if you stay up three hours later than usual and had five martini's before coming home from the party that you can say I am going to get up at six o'clock and your body is going to obey. It might say wake up at six but don't bet your job on it!
I never knew about the thermometer until I met a guy who could tell you within a degree what the temperature was. I was amazed at first then I found out on the way to school every day his Dad would pay him a set amount of money if he could accurately tell what the temperature was before they drove by the Bank sign that displayed the temperature. So twice a day he had a chance to train his body to guess the temperature. Now I can do it also. With time and practice everybody can do this.
Time as we record it is linear. The amazing thing is how one second ago is gone, it is in the past. We can record moments and revisit them through photograph's or video recordings, but the moment is gone, in the past. One of the most amazing things I have ever learned is that you can't guess what is going to happen next, and you can't change the past. The only thing you have, truly have, is this moment and what you're doing with that moment. Right now you are reading this post and hopefully figuring out the most dynamic aspects of life you can ever learn!
This moment, any moment is the only thing you can truly impact, act upon, do something with. If you waste it, spend it being pissed about something you have no control over or cannot change, spend it being jealous, waste it feeling sorry for yourself, it is gone.
When you truly embrace this concept you will call your mom or dad, hug your children, kiss your spouse, work harder at what work you are lucky enough to have the chance to perform. You will relax more, stop and smell the roses, notice a butterfly, enjoy your dinner, feel the bubbles in a glass of 7up or maybe champagne. Enjoy your life! Every moment! Make an impact every moment! Do something small towards your dream every day!
This moment is all we ever truly have! What's before us hopefully is the results of millions of moments added to a monumental life lived to the fullest. What's behind us is the past. Right now, what do you need to do? What is the most important, biggest impact, meaningful way, and spiritual way you can enjoy, and spend this moment?
Anybody know what time it is? Thanks for sharing! Tom
Posted in: Time Moment Schedules Enjoy Successful
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