Have you ever heard the phrase “time flies when you’re having fun”? Of course you have, and you yourself have probably said it many times. It is one of the most frequently used sayings after we check our watches and realize we’re 20 minutes late for a meeting or realize that we’ve been out to dinner for 4 hours when it’s really only felt like 2. Time flies when we’re having fun.
Growing up, we have heard the phrase over and over again. Perhaps it’s cliché and overused, or perhaps time really was and is passing quickly. A deeper reasoning behind this was presented to me as I stumbled upon an Inc. article telling me that time passes by us more quickly as we grow older, but don’t worry- there is a way that we can slow it down.
I’ll let you think about this for a moment.
Jeff Haden, the author of the Inc. article, mentions that the “clock” inside of your brain begins to run slower as we age, making the pace of life seem much quicker. He also presents research showing that our bodies release dopamine much more slowly when we perceive something new later in life. This also makes time appear to pass by more quickly. It’s no secret that time “flies”, but you’re probably still wondering the secret to slowing it down. Read on.
“Time passes faster when we are in a set routine, when we aren't learning anything new, when we stay stuck in a life pattern.” - Harlan Coben
They say the secret to slowing down time is to break up your routine and try something new. Have a new experience, teach yourself something new, and break out the repetition that you have created in your day-to-day life. When is the last time that you did something and felt that the experience passed by too quickly? Chances it was because you were having fun or doing something different. However, if you stop to think about the time you spent engaging in that activity, it is likely that the time passed even slower than you remembered. We complain that the time “flew by” because we were having fun, experiencing something new and enjoying the moment we were in.
The moral of the story here is that we are only given so much time in life. It is important to use this time wisely and to be active in learning new things and stepping outside of our usual routines. It is never too late in your life to experience a new “first”. Make this year the year that you try rock climbing or scuba diving for the first time. Perhaps there is a work conference that you have never attended - make this year the first year that you go. Whether in your personal life of your business, challenge yourself, try something new, and you’ll be surprised how much slower your life will pass you by.
- Alicia, Marketing Assistant
