The Philosophy

The Philosophy of TiME

Time – Defined

the
system of those sequential relations that any event has to any other, as past,
present, or future; indefinite and continuous duration regarded as that in which
events succeed one another.
duration
regarded as belonging to the present life as distinct from the life to come or
from eternity; finite duration.

Source: Dictionary.com

Time is a unifying element of all humanity. It defines the span of human existence and neatly organizes the experience or perception of “being” into measurable quantifiable units of years, months, weeks, days, minutes and seconds.

The passing of time brings the familiarity of the sunrise and the sunset. Time provides the framework for the structure and order that humans crave. Throughout a 24 hour cycle people, animals, and even plants have an internal clock (known as circadian rhythms) that are “built-in” to the genetic cell structure of living organisms. It is thought that daylight is the main external factor affecting wakefulness and sleep. And, it is fascinating to realize that this “internal” clock resets itself approximately every 24 hours.

The Old Philosophy of Time

Time is Limited

There are a limited number of hours in each day.

You Must Choose

Due to the daily constraints of time, you must choose which activities you will focus your time and attention on accomplishing.

Social Expectations

There are cultural and social expectations for “how” you should spend your time
each day.

Time is Labeled

Based on how you choose to spend your time – you may be labeled as: ambitious, driven, hard-working, organized, focused, productive – or, you may be labeled as: slow, lazy, ineffective, scattered, idle, and even unsuccessful. (Labeling is one of the most distressing parts of the old philosophy of time, because we believe you must have time to THINK, to DREAM, to IMAGINE, and to CREATE.)

Time Management

Time cannot be managed. Time is both a reality and a perception.

It Happened By Accident

Late one night (when my brain is most creative) (although mornings are my most productive time) I was typing the text for our latest training workshop that was originally titled:

Time Strategies:

By accident I actually typed:

TiME Strategies:

“TiME”

It was one of those rare AHA moments in life. In the typo – I could see it plainly. Inside of the word TiME™ I saw the relationship between the plurality of self – the “I” and the “me”.

Several months before this “typo” I had first learned about the psychology of plurality. The following is an edited excerpt from my book, The 7 Minute Solution: Creating a Life with Meaning 7 Minutes at a Time:

Engage Your Soul

I asked psychologist, Dan Holmes, to help me understand the psychological difference between the mind and the soul. Dan said, “I see the mind as the storehouse of memory and thoughts. I see the soul as pure consciousness. In counseling sessions I often hear people speak of events in their life in a personal form of plurality. They will say something like, ‘I felt sad, when I let myself speak so harshly.’ Notice the two people in that statement, I and myself. Who are the two people in that narrative and how are they different?”

I asked him to pause so I could process where he might be going. He continued, “When I am counseling this person I believe that the ‘I’ they are speaking about is their soul. The ‘I’ is their pure connection with who they want to be. Their ‘I’ lives in the present moment, is fully awake, and fully aware. Their ‘I’ feels meaning and depth and richness in life. The ‘myself ’ in this internal dialogue comes from the mind. The mind assigns a label to everything. Every action is either good or bad. Many thoughts are tied to past memories, and if those memories are negative, your mind may lead you to a path of depression. If your mind puts too much energy into focusing on the future, your mind may lead you to a life of anxiety.”

As I listened, it became more and more clear that the “I” or the soul—the present moment—is experienced in the right brain. And the mind—our storehouse of memories and thoughts, the “myself”—is tied intricately to the left brain.

In order to find meaning, I need to be able to connect to my soul. It is impossible not to reconnect with your soul when you connect with your values and your purpose in life.

The New Philosophy of TiME™

I realized that what I most desperately needed to change was my relationship to TiME™. I needed to perceive TiME™ through a different set of lens.

The new philosophy of TiME™ is built on four foundations:

TiME™ – Humans need TiME™ to live and think
Innovation – Innovate literally translate as “renew” – it involves growth
Meaningful Change – You need repeatable systems to create sustainable change
Execution – The completion of action is in itself a great reward

To find out more about The New Philosophy of TiME™ please contact us.