One of the strangest concepts of modern life is “finding the time” and “making time”. This is of course a silly concept, because time is finite, In the past few centuries, thinkers had said that much of the unsavoury work would be taken over by machines, and we would be left with a life of leisure. As many have found, it has become quite the opposite: either people are faced with unemployment, or there are many who work to keep a machine going in order to support their families. Increasingly with this fourth Industrial Revolution, we’re heading into dangerous territory with a great disparity between haves and have nots.
Part of my decision to start my own business was to dial back the amount of time I am keeping machines going, and ensuring every working hour is meaningful and fosters human connection. That means spending more time with clients, with family and out in the community, and on writing and thinking and being able to focus on discrete tasks without constant interruptions.
Two other observations/commitments:
1) In this age of echo chambers, I am also committing a day a month to volunteering with those that are very much unlike me, and shutting off social media as long as possible.
2) In addition, one of the key drivers I have also found for living an unsustainable lifestyle is the lack of time. I have noticed myself already becoming more mindful of my actions, rather than relying on a reflex in making decisions.
Let’s hope I can keep this up! Help keep me accountable if you can!