In the article “Try On A New Relationship With Time,” Ginny Whitelaw explores how people often experience time as pressure rather than something we can shape through our mindset and awareness. This article suggests that many people move through life constantly feeling rushed, stressed, or behind simply because of the way we think about time. One idea that stood out to me when Whitelaw explains that “when we experience time as pressure, we narrow our attention and react automatically rather than intentionally” (Whitelaw). This quote made me realize that the stress I feel about time is not just about how busy I am, but about how I think about time I have and how to use it.
In today's culture, people are often encouraged to be constantly productive. Social media especially promotes the idea that success comes with working nonstop. When scrolling online, it often seems like everyone else is accomplishing things faster or earlier in life. I personally struggle with this mindset because I sometimes compare myself to other people online and even people in real life. Sometimes I see people my age who appear to already have everything figured out, or who are already successful at a young age. Seeing that can create pressure and sometimes make me feel like I am falling behind in life. Instead of focusing on my own progress, I start to feel like I need to move faster just to catch up. In many ways, this reflects what Whitelaw describes when she writes that “time pressure causes us to contract our attention and lose awareness of the bigger picture” (Whitelaw). When I focus too much on comparison, I lose sight of my own journey and what actually matters to me. Sometimes I still compare myself to people online, but I remind myself that everyone’s timeline is different and that starting at 21 is still early in life but if motivates me to start now rather than later since I have that opportunity.
Part of this pressure also comes from being very aware of my own weaknesses. I know that sometimes I can become complacent or procrastinate, especially when I feel like I have already accomplished something during the day. Because of this self-awareness, I sometimes push myself too hard because I am afraid of falling into old habits. For years I talked about my goals without fully executing them. I would say I was going to build a YouTube channel, get better grades in school, or achieve my ideal physique, but often I would stay consistent only for a few weeks before losing motivation when I did not see results quickly. Over time, I became tired of the cycle of making promises to myself. This made me realize that my relationship with time was tied to unrealistic expectations and impatience rather than consistency and discipline.
Another challenge I face is that I have many ambitions and creative interests. I want to build my YouTube channel, learn about investing in stocks, stay consistent in the gym, and eventually explore things like making music, starting a business, acting, and directing. For a long time, I wanted to pursue all these goals at the same time. However, I recently realized that even if human potential may be limitless, our time and energy are not. That realization was discouraging at first because it made me feel like I was not doing enough. But over time I started to understand that prioritizing certain goals does not mean abandoning others forever. Instead, it means focusing on what matters most right now. This shift in thinking helped me feel more in control of my time instead of constantly overwhelmed by it.
This realization also connects to the way I currently manage my schedule. My daily routine requires a balance of several responsibilities. I work Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I attend in-person classes. Outside of work and school, I try to make time for my YouTube channel, the gym, studying classes, and learning about stocks. At first this schedule felt overwhelming, since I felt unsure about how I’m going to balance everything out. But over time I began creating a structure every week. For example, Mondays are often when I can focus on studying or going to the gym if I get off early. Tuesdays and Thursdays are my busiest days because I go straight from work to class, with only having enough time to shower, eat, and briefly rest before heading to campus. Wednesdays allow me to catch up on schoolwork or go to the gym, while Fridays can be used to edit videos or finish assignments.
Saturdays are often when I spend the most time editing videos for my YouTube channel. Since I genuinely enjoy making videos, I can work on editing for several hours without feeling drained. I usually try to prepare multiple videos so I can post them throughout the following week. Sundays are more relaxing. After attending church, I spent some time with my friends but still tried to go home early so I could rest and prepare for the next week. Creating this structure has helped me rethink my relationship with time. Instead of constantly feeling rushed, I have started to see time as something that can be organized and used intentionally.
Working at my warehouse job has also changed the way I think about time and my future. The job is helpful for me right now because it pays well and allows me to save money while living at home. However, I also see coworkers who have been there for ten or even twenty years. Seeing that made me realize how quickly time can pass if someone becomes too comfortable. It was a reality check for me. Instead of scaring me into feeling like I am too late, it motivates me to take my goals more seriously now. In a way, this connects to Whitelaw’s idea that becoming more aware can change how we experience time. Seeing where I could end up if I stopped pushing myself made me think more seriously about how I want to use my time moving forward.
Another important idea in Whitelaw’s article is the suggestion that changing our awareness can change how we experience time. She writes that “changing our relationship with time begins with shifting our awareness and learning to be more present in the moment” (Whitelaw). This idea made me realize that much of the stress I feel about time comes from worrying about the future instead of focusing on what I can do right now. When I focus only on the future, I feel overwhelmed by everything I want to accomplish. But when I focus on taking small steps every day, the less I worry and feel more determined to accomplish my goals while managing them. This shift in mindset has helped me approach my goals with more patience and clarity.
Reflecting on this article also raises some important questions for me. How much of our stress about time is created by comparison with others? In a society that constantly promotes productivity and achievement, is it possible to feel content with moving at our own pace? And how can people balance ambition with patience so that they do not burn out while pursuing my goals? These questions remind me that the relationship people have with time is not just personal but also shaped by social expectations and pressures.
In the end, this article helped me realize that my relationship with time is still something I am learning to improve. Modern culture often encourages people to rush through life, constantly comparing themselves to others. However, the article suggests that time does not have to be experienced as pressure. Instead, it can be something we approach with awareness, intention, and patience. For me, this means continuing to act toward my goals while also learning to be more patient with my own progress. I may not accomplish everything at once, but as long as I continue moving forward, I know I am still growing.
Work Cited
Whitelaw, Ginny. “Try on a New Relationship with Time.” Try On A New Relationship With Time, 1 Mar. 2023, www.forbes.com/sites/ginnywhitelaw/2023/03/01/try-on-a-new-relationship-to-time/.
The piece of writing I chose to reflect on is my essay titled “Figuring Out My Relationship With Time.” In that essay, I respond to Jenny Whitelaw's article “Try On A New Relationship With Time.” The article discusses how many people experience time as pressure rather than something we can shape through awareness and mindset. When I read the article, it immediately made me think about my own life and how I often feel like I'm racing against time while trying to reach different goals.
I decided to write about this topic because it connects closely to what I'm currently experiencing in my life. At the moment, I'm a college student who is determined to improve my life for the better after realizing that I had broken several promises to myself in the past. That realization made me feel like I needed to catch up on time that I felt I wasted. However, recently I've started to understand that I can't change the past, but I can learn from it and move forward. My life right now is built around a constant schedule to the point where I sometimes get burnt out. I attend college classes in person while also working in the morning in a warehouse job, which takes up a big part of my week. Whenever I have free time between those responsibilities, I try to focus on building my YouTube channel and working towards my personal goals. I still live with my parents, but I don't see that as a negative thing. Instead, I see it as an opportunity because I don't have to worry about paying rent, which allows me to focus more on improving myself and planning for the future while still helping by paying for groceries occasionally.
Some of my personal experiences also influenced the way I wrote this essay, especially my experience working in the warehouse. If I had to describe my job experience in one word, it would be humbling. I chose the word humbling because it pays more than my previous job where I was only making about $11.00 an hour, which I’m grateful for the higher pay I’m making now, but the work that we do in the warehouse is more physically demanding. Even though the job is harder, I'm grateful for the opportunity because it allowed me to earn more money and experience a different kind of work environment.
Working there also gave me a reality check about how difficult life can be for many people. I know coworkers who depend entirely on that job just to make ends meet and support themselves or their families. Seeing that made me realize how fortunate I am to still live with my parents while I'm in school. At the same time, the job motivates me because I know it's something I only want to work there temporarily. I've seen regular employees who have been there for 10 or even 20 years, and many of them seem unhappy or exhausted from doing the same physically demanding work every day. The thought of working in a warehouse for the rest of my life honestly scares me, but in a way, it also motivates me. It pushes me to work harder in school and stay committed to my goals, including building my YouTube channel and creating better opportunities for my future.
When writing the essay, I wanted it to feel reflective and personal rather than just a summary of the article. I also wanted to keep the tone honest and straightforward so the reader could clearly see how the ideas from the article connect to my own experiences. I included quotes from Whitelaw's article to highlight the main ideas, but I focus on connecting those ideas to my own experiences. I tried to show how the article made me think more deeply about things like social media comparisons, productivity, pressure, and how I manage my daily routine. My goal was to show how the article’s ideas relate to real life instead of simply repeating what the author said.
This essay also made me reflect more on how I think about time. Before writing it, I sometimes felt I was falling behind compared to other people my age, especially when I see people online who seem to become successful very early. When I started thinking about it more, I also realized that many successful people didn't reach their breakthrough until later in life. For example, successful artists like Future and actors like Samuel L Jackson didn't become wildly successful until later in their careers, which reminded me that success doesn't have a strict timeline. After thinking more about the article, I realized that everyone moves at a different pace. Instead of worrying about how fast things happen, I'm starting to focus more on staying consistent and making progress over time.
Overall, writing this piece helped me understand my own relationship with time a little better. It reminded me that a lot of the pressure people feel comes from how we measure our progress rather than where we actually are in life. For me, the biggest takeaway is that I still have time to work towards the goals I care about as long as I stay disciplined and continue taking action.
Jason Martinez-Llorens is a student at Houston City College studying for an associate’s degree in business and a major degree in digital media since his interests include content creation, business and personal development. He is passionate about growing both academically and creatively.