We are almost at the end of another year and it seems like it just began. Does it not seem that time is passing us by faster and faster every year? I often hear people asking themselves where did the time go? The reason that we lose track of time is because we are so busy running around doing things that we have to do and not those that we want to do. What do I mean by this?
Most people are in jobs that do not  inspire and motivate them and only help them pay the bills. It is easy to spot these people because they are the ones who drag themselves to work, are always stressed out, are always complaining and find it difficult to focus. This is because they never wanted their job in the first place and ended up settling for what they do to pay their bills.
Contrast this with someone who is truly passionate about and loves what they do. They arrive at work refreshed and energized, ready to tackle whatever the day throws at them. This is because they are on a mission driven by passion and have found a deeper meaning to their lives. They hardly realize the time passing by because they have learned a great secret of life. What is this secret? It can be summed up in five words. Passion makes time stand still.
Truly ponder this statement because it is profound. Essentially what I am saying is that your perception of time changes as what you focus on changes. If you are always focused on how miserable you are in your current job, that you don’t see eye to eye with your boss and are stressed out by deadlines that you have to meet, time will seem to drag on forever.
On the other hand if you truly love what you do, get along great with your boss and your co-workers and believe in your company’s product then you will scarcely notice any time you spend on your work and, for all intents and purposes, time will seem to stand still.This is why time is an illusion because your perception of it depends on what you spend your time doing. The more inspired you are by what you are doing then the more you will perceive the concept of no time.
Therefore, as we near the end of another year, truly scrutinize how you have spent your time in the past year and ask yourself, have you spent it doing what truly inspires you and what you’re passionate about or have you been just dragging yourself from one day to the next while dreading what the next day will bring.
If you are in the former group then congratulations! If you are in the latter group then take stock of what you have been focused on and how to shift your focus to what truly matters to you and lights your soul on fire! Contemplate and journal on this and come up with at least 50 things that you want to devote your time to.
Once you have this list then narrow it down to just three things that you want to focus on and come up with an action plan to bring these ideas and goals to fruition. If you put effort into this exercise and act on it, you will come closer to living in a timeless state, one of less effort, greater fulfillment and unbridled joy. This is how you ensure your success in the new year.
As we approach the end of another year, I want to wish all of you a wonderful holiday season and an inspiring and prosperous new year!
Dr. Nauman Naeem