When did we first start believing we are time poor? Who promotes this idea and why might they be doing it?
These are really good questions and ones that are not simply answered. It is interesting to note that the advertising industry, who really want to sell you more goods and services, use the term with little restraint and so often that it has now become an article of faith for many of us.
As with many terms, once someone hears and repeats it often enough, they start believing it and it becomes a reality for them. The belief they are time poor becomes a filter through which they pass their day to day activities and they begin stressing as they run harder, but essentially stay in the one place.
It is interesting to look back at advertising in the 40s and 50s when we can first see an explosion of the concept of time poor used in the promotion of so called “labour saving” devices. This has continued to the present day when it is more sophisticated but still targets the same emotions. We work harder, to afford more “time saving” goods and services, so we can have more time to do and have the things we want. It only takes a moment of reflection to realise this is a treadmill which never stops.
The last time I looked we all have 24 hours every day, it is up to us to choose how we use it. I have had many clients over the years who have been stunned to realise the things they are choosing to do, including working huge hours, is detrimental to the very things they really want, like time and relationships with their loved ones.
It is liberating to stop blaming everyone and everything else for our perceived lack of time and instead start taking responsibility for how we choose to use that time. Taking responsibility and self-evaluating the effectiveness of what we think and do is the key to taking back control in our life. There is always time for things that really matter.
It is ok to work long hours, run everywhere for the kids, or involve ourselves in multiple social activities, as long as we accept it’s our choice and we are happy with it.
So, who is really responsible for our time poor beliefs? The answer of course, is us,