The Passion Mystique
Time management seems deceptively simple. In fact, some have even widdled it down to the following two actions:
- Plan the action (something you're passionate about)
- Act on the plan
Imagine. You're working on the computer with ten windows open; with your phone, TV and instant messenger on; and with your email program automatically checking and alerting you of new emails every few minutes. Does all or part of this sound familiar? Do you ever find yourself in the middle of a distraction such as talking to a friend online having completely forgotten what you had originally set out to do?
I would argue that we create these distractions internally and that they are symptoms of a false belief. To find this false belief, we must find what causes the symptoms, not simply try to eliminate them. Simply eliminating them will lead to the arising of new distractions.
The reality of life is that there's some stuff we like doing and there's some stuff we don't like doing. The activities that don't get done are often the ones we don't like. This dilemma seemingly leads to two solutions:
- Get rid of the activities we don't like.
- Learn to like everything.
One example of this is the beginning of passionate/romantic relationships. These relationships are often characterized by not being able to see any flaws in the other person and spending lots of time together. However, over time, flaws begin to arise and the initial passion may disappear. At this point, the relationship often ends with the leaving person citing the other person changing as the reason for the break. However, the change, for the most part, is internal.
I would argue that individuals have similar relationships with activities in life. This can be seen when they jump from one project they're passionate about to another project without ever really getting anywhere. It can also be seen on a micro-level when people procrastinate on small tasks.
Yes, we should do what we're passionate about, but we should also learn to love what we don't like in every moment. Furthermore, we can actually see the things we don't like as opportunities for growth.
With that said, the best time management strategy I can offer is, "Be comfortable being uncomfortable" and "Find the passion in every moment. Learn to see every moment as something to cherish and appreciate, not something to avoid and change".