"I don't have time" is the worst excuse
It lets you off the hook instead of taking responsibility for how you're spending time
Welcome to Art Science Millennial, a newsletter for non-techies navigating the world of tech! I know the struggle because Iām one of you.
Whatās the first thing you say when you havenāt gotten around to doing something you said you would?
The most common response would probably be āI donāt have timeā. Iāve always found this answer vaguely dissatisfying, but couldnāt quite put my finger on why until I read āReworkā. Itās a book of advice on starting your own business but it contains so much that can be applied to life in general (shout out to my friend James for introducing the book!).
It has a short section titled āNo time is no excuseā that articulates so much of my uneasiness with āI donāt have timeā. These are some of the reasons why Iām going to try kicking the habit of reflexively giving that answer.
You give up doing anything about it
Once you utter āI donāt have timeā, thereās a certain ring of finality to it. After all, thereāre only 24 hours in a day, a fact of life that mere mortals cannot alter. So thatās that. End of discussion.
Whatever grand plans you have ā learn a sport, start a website, paint the apartment ā gets caught in a state of suspended animation.
Looking back at some of my plans that came to nought, I realise I just wanted to feel good about having these plans while reaching for the āI donāt have timeā excuse to avoid doing anything about them.
You avoid responsibility for your own choices
Our modern lifestyles mean that many a times weāre truly time-strapped. So when you tell your friends that you would really like to learn to play the piano if only you had the time, theyāll probably just nod along and say some words of commiseration.
Iāve done this myself more often than I care to admit. Yet somehow I still manage to watch three seasons of āThe Marvelous Mrs Maiselā and squeeze in a few sessions of āAmong Usā. So āI donāt have timeā is really code for āI would rather laze around for that two-hour window I have tonight because I just want to chill.ā
Or, as āReworkā puts it:
When you want something bad enough, you make the time ā regardless of your other obligations. The truth is most people just donāt want it bad enough. Then they protect their ego with the excuse of time. Donāt let yourself off the hook with excuses. Itās entirely your responsibility to make your dreams come true.
To be clear, I think thereās absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to chill. I mean, I really did watch those three seasons of āThe Marvelous Mrs Maiselā (fantastic show, it deserves all those Emmys!).
But I also think itās sobering yet empowering to take responsibility for my choices. The difference between owning my own actions and blaming the clock:
āI chose to watch TVā: Well, I guess I donāt truly want it bad enough. And if I did Iāll cut my TV time.
āI donāt have timeā: Well, I guess itās just too bad.
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A close cousin ā āNowās not the right timeā
āNowās not the right timeā is another common refrain that we hear.
To quote āReworkā once again:
Besides, the perfect time never arrives. Youāre always too young or old or busy or broke or something else. If you constantly fret about timing things perfectly, theyāll never happen.
Now, I think there are certain situations where it is actually wise to wait. But thereās a big difference between biding your time and kicking the can down the road.
Biding your time: Iāll take a year to pick up a new language before requesting for that overseas posting.
Kicking the can down the road: I donāt have the experience yet and Iāll never be picked for the overseas posting. Iāll probably just apply next year.
Put another way, thereās always something you can do right away to make your dream that much more realistic, even if nowās not the time to take the plunge. Nowās not the right time for that switch to a tech career? Then start with those online coding courses youāve been meaning to do for the longest time. These bite-sized steps can also test if your interest is just a passing phase or a lasting passion.
tl;dr
The two main points on my to-do list:
Instead of saying āI donāt have timeā, say what I rather be doing.
Instead of saying ānowās not the right timeā and leaving it at that, define and do the smaller steps I can be taking right now until the time is right.
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