Time Burritto
“The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately.” — Seneca
The Obstacle
Time.
We can’t make more of it, but we waste plenty of it.
We rush to speak.
We rush to explain.
We rush to correct, persuade, solve.
We solve problems that were never asked to be solved.
We jump to judgment, advice, solutions.
Being right matters more than being present.
We spend time scrolling.
Time reading and posting comments.
Time looking at things we don’t need.
Time watching shows we’re not even sure we want to keep watching.
Time AVOIDING.
Time distracted.
Time catching up on news that plays to fear.
Time arguing in our heads.
Time perfecting the past.
Time crafting futures.
Time controlling things that don’t need to be controlled.
We wonder why relationships feel strained.
Why trust erodes.
Why leadership feels harder than it should.
Why we fall behind.
We’re not as short on time as we think.
We’re undisciplined with it.
Time is math problem that we struggle to solve
The Gift and Opportunity
We don’t get to make more time.
We want it all, but are forced to choose.
We can make better use of the time we have.
Slow down, pause, look, and listen, save time.
Stay quiet longer, save time.
Seek to understand where someone is coming from before speaking, save time.
When someone knows we care, they are far more willing to listen to our position or solution.
When someone feels heard, they are more willing to listen.
When they feel we listen and care, trust grows.
When trust takes root, progress happens and relationships grow.
Empathy saves time by avoiding most conflict and not needing to solve other peoples problems.
Exploration saves time by getting enough information to solve THE problem instead of A problem.
Creativity saves time by doing things differently.
Navigation saves time by understanding what is important and not just urgent and putting our time and energy into what matters.
Focused action saves time by actually getting started and not avoiding or perfecting. If it feels to hard or overwhelming, break it down into a small manageable chunk and get after it.
We don’t need to remove things from our lives as much as we need to replace them —
Replace distraction with Action.
Replace noise with Exploration.
Replace urgency with Importance.
Replace old ways with Creativity.
Replace the need to be right or solve with Empathy.
Time becomes useful when we stop reacting and start choosing.
Time is math problem, balance the equation, then solve!
The Practice of Self-Mastery
Take a long pause before talking.
Ask yourself, would you rather they knew you were right or knew that you cared?
Decide if what you’re about to say is value for them, or value for you.
Ask directly, do you want us to listen, or help solve this?
Evaluate what we’re doing and ask, does this matter — today, this year, at the end of our lives?
Remove distractions that do not matter at the end of the day.
Focus on one thing — one-on-ones with what we’re doing, where we’re at, and who we’re with.
