This is the first summer that I do not have a round tan mark on my wrist. I have given up my life-long habit of wearing a wrist-watch every day.
Leaving the field of health care after 30+ years where a watch is necessary to track patient appointment times and some parameters of patient health, I decided the watch could go. I thought I would experiment with having my days less ruled by a clock and more by the natural flow of my tasks. It was uncomfortable at first, the not knowing exactly what minute of the day it was. But it has changed how I experience time.
I find tasks easier to finish without constantly looking to see if I'll have time for the next one. I create, read or think until I'm done and satisfied. I am less inclined to set time limits on a task but instead set a pleasure limit -- if it's going well and I'm having fun I'll continue. If it's just not the day to be productive or I'm making a mess of things I'll wait until tomorrow. I give myself permission to glance out the window, think a full thought or settle down for a quick nap.
Each day still has the same number of minutes and hours. But time stretches out or can shrink away to nothing. I've found my mind is a better timepiece for the marking of my hours. I don't think I'll ever buy another watch.
Leaving the field of health care after 30+ years where a watch is necessary to track patient appointment times and some parameters of patient health, I decided the watch could go. I thought I would experiment with having my days less ruled by a clock and more by the natural flow of my tasks. It was uncomfortable at first, the not knowing exactly what minute of the day it was. But it has changed how I experience time.
I find tasks easier to finish without constantly looking to see if I'll have time for the next one. I create, read or think until I'm done and satisfied. I am less inclined to set time limits on a task but instead set a pleasure limit -- if it's going well and I'm having fun I'll continue. If it's just not the day to be productive or I'm making a mess of things I'll wait until tomorrow. I give myself permission to glance out the window, think a full thought or settle down for a quick nap.
Each day still has the same number of minutes and hours. But time stretches out or can shrink away to nothing. I've found my mind is a better timepiece for the marking of my hours. I don't think I'll ever buy another watch.
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