We’ve all heard our mother, grandmother, or any older person lament, “The older you get the faster time passes”. I for one find this to be true. How about you?
A theory…
I recently heard a theory about age and the passage of time from a skating friend. Apparently, we perceive time as a percentage of our entire lives. So if you’re 5 years old, 1 year is 20% of your life (divide 1 year by 5 years) which seems like a very long time. I remember being 5 years old and the summer break seemed to stretch on forever.
Fast forward 55 or so years and summers are fleeting. That’s because 1 year out of 60 years is only 1.67% of your life. No wonder a year flies by in a flash.
I work with a young woman who just celebrated her 29th birthday. She was mourning the thought of turning 30. I clearly remember my 30th birthday and I felt the same way. Oh, in case you’re wondering: 1 year is 3.33% of your life when you’re 30.
Wait…what?
And to put it all into perspective, this little tidbit of information was floating around Facebook. I think this sums it up well.
In our lifetime…
On that note, it’s a good time to introduce the idea of projects in our lifetime. Any real significant project whether personal or professional takes a minimum of 5 years. If you consider an average lifespan of 85 years and we start our life’s work at let’s say 20, then we have 13 significant projects in our lifetime. If you’re interested in learning more, check out this spotlight conversation with Author Charlie Gilkey on The Good Life Project podcast: How to Finish What Matters and Get More Free Time.
That means I have 4-5 significant projects left in my life. Possibly 6-7 if I live to 95 which I’m totally planning to do. What about you? How many projects do you have left?
Rather than being sad about this, I think it helps us to focus in on what’s important. What do you want to accomplish in the time you have left on this earth? According to Gilkey, to accomplish a major project, you need to spend 3 sessions a week on it. And, each session should be 90 to 120 minutes long so you can focus in, get absorbed in it, and make real progress. And that’s not to say you can’t take short breaks during those weekly sessions.
Food for thought…
Hmmm, this really makes me take note of how I spend my time each week. Am I spending enough time on the things that really matter?
To close, I leave you with these 2 questions: Is what’s on your schedule this week or next a reflection of what you truly want to accomplish? What is the thing your soul most yearns to do?
Until next time,
~ Colleen
I’m a recovering Chartered Accountant and Breast Cancer Champion turned Fashion Designer. My COKANNA Canadian-made bamboo clothing is all about comfort and style. Giving back to the community is important to me so I support local breast cancer organizations who treat the whole person and not just the disease.