Declutter Your Time

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time given us.” T.R.R Tolkien

Time is the one great equalizer here on earth.Nobody gets more than another. Rich or poor, big or small, Father Time is a fare guy. Intentional living influences all aspects of our lives, and it acknowledges that mindlessness wastes energy, time, resources, and opportunities. Focusing on deliberate thought patterns and habits creates an opportunity to invest in other meaningful endeavors such as intentional time management and more meaningful relationships.

According to Timelinefly, we are constantly measuring all sorts of things is an almost imperceptible but very significant part of our routines.  We measure sizes, distances, and, even more often, time. We live counting minutes and hours and planning the following years. This chronological understanding of time is significant but not the only way to understand time.

The idea of time is so present in our lives that its meaning seems obvious.Therefore, we rarely stop to understand this abstract concept. Have you ever wondered what time means?

As we showed earlier, the immediate connection of time with our social habits is its usefulness as a measurement tool. Calendars, clocks, and stopwatches are indispensable for organizing our personal and collective lives.But that relationship gets more profound when we consider the connection between time and history and our behaviors.

Naomi Matlow explains it as follows: The ancient Greeks had twodifferent words for the concept of time — “chronos” and “kairos.” The word“chronos” (you probably recognize this one as the root for the English words“chronological” and “chronicle”) refers to measured, ticking, quantitative time. Chronos is the forward propelling time that we measure with clocks, on watches, and by the evolutionary phases of the moon. But time does not end there.

TheGreeks’ second word for time is “kairos” — lesser-known but no less critical.“Kairos” is what many philosophers and mystics call “deep time.” This is when we’re talking about where the world seems to stop entirely. It can be measured in deep exhales, a shared laugh, or a colorful sunset. Insert your version here. It is a qualitative time where you have the opportunity to move forward in the present, untethered by any moving clock or calendar. While Chronos is quantitative, Kairos has a qualitative, permanent nature.

Franciscan friar and author Richard Rohr refers to kairos as those moments in life where you stop and say, “‘Oh my God, this is it. I get it.’ Or, ‘This is as perfectas it can be.’ Or, ‘It doesn’t get any better than this.’” We all know those moments, don’t we? They may be few and far between, but sometimes a kairos moment in life can feed your soul, like fuel, for many months at a time. There is an element of serendipity and a feeling of seizing an opportunity in those precious moments where time stands still, and everything feels possible.

Once you understand more about these concepts, it will become even easier to understand their impacts on how we live and think.

When you find yourself in kairos time, you completely lose track of chronos time. A flow state is activated and cannot be measured but only experienced.

When you live more intentionally and proactively declutter your life, there are plenty of opportunities to live in kairos time. They are also unique chances for us all to understand our chronos and kairos better and, therefore, leave with a richer, fuller kairos and chronos relationship to take back into our work and life.

It is a gift to ourselves when we recognize these kairological moments and relishing them.

So, how do we cultivate more of these opportune moments? We know we can’t live in them forever, but how do we fill ourselves, not just our calendars, with moments of kairos? How do we live our lives not just chronologically but kairologically?

I don’t know, but I would venture to say that when I take my watch off, set my phone to airplane mode, and silence my calendar, I am more open and more likely, to experience them. Maybe it’s because we are more connected to our surroundings, nature, and the people beside us? Or perhaps it’s something we all have to figure out for ourselves.

When our lives and minds are cluttered and unorganized, getting anything done is time-consuming and takes up unnecessary mental space. We want to keep our brains clear and fresh instead of overwhelmed, and this is only possible if you clearly distinguish between what is truly important and what is unnecessary clutter. Decluttering is about minimizing the chaos in your life but also your thoughts. You will have more time and energy to master and appreciate unexpected situations.

Time management isthe process of planning and controlling how much time to spend on specific activities. Respecting your time is to be wise about what is meaningful and what is just clutter. Understanding and valuing are essential to leading an intentional and meaningful life.