The phone rings.
An email arrives.
Someone needs an answer.
Something changes.
And suddenly it is five o’clock.
You have been busy all day, but you have not necessarily done what mattered most.
I know this well.
What I am learning is that a reaction and a decision are not the same thing.
Responding quickly can even be a strength. It can also be a kind of addiction. It feels good to be the person who solves the problem.
Until you realise that the problems you are always solving have begun deciding how you spend your life.
Perhaps control over time has less to do with the calendar than I thought.
Perhaps it is about the ability to pause briefly between what happens and what you do next.
And ask:
Do I want this to have my time?