Stop saying “I don’t have time”
Posted on May 20, 2022 by Dominic Junghaenel, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.
"I don't have time" means "This is not a priority right now", so say that. Changing your language helps remind you that time is a choice.
How often do you say “I don’t have time”? Whenever we say we don’t have time for something, what we usually mean is that it’s not that important, that it’s not high enough on our priority list.
Because deep down, we know that time is not something we can ever have, like we have money in our wallets or the shoes on our feet. Time just is. All we can do is choose how to spend it.
Next time you’re about to say “I don’t have time”, try saying – if not out loud, at least to yourself – “it’s not a priority” and see how that feels. “I’m afraid I can’t meet you for lunch, it’s not a priority.” “I’m sorry, son, I can’t play with you right now because it’s not a priority.”
If these phrases feel uncomfortable, that’s the point. Changing our language in this way, reminds us that time is a choice. If we don’t like how we’re spending our time, we can choose to spend it differently.
