For over a decade I lived in a town flat. Then I did a very unremarkable thing, something that almost everybody has done - I moved home.

I moved to a semi – detached in a more rural area. This change of surroundings proved to be very significant for me as it affected my experience and perception of time, and this in turn gradually changed my attitudes to both life and work.

Whilst living in my town flat I was vaguely aware of the passing of the seasons – longer and shorter days and nights and higher and lower temperatures. Overall, however, my experience of time was straight line and forward facing. It seemed like one year blended smoothly with the next, to create a continuous uniform flow of time that carried me onward to new experiences, with the minimum of intrusion from the physical, natural environment that surrounded me. Plentiful street lighting and the innately artificial and isolating way of life associated with a town flat (no garden, no real communal areas) served to distance me from the physical changes in the environment that would have reminded me of the changing seasons and of the cyclic way in which time passes.

On moving to the semi, however, I almost immediately became more aware of the seasons and the physical reality of time passing. I big part of this was having a garden: seeing the grass grow and having to cut it; noticing how different plants grew, blossomed and withered at different times. Seeing different birds and insects come and go at different times, and also noting how some plants made a point of blooming at the same time as certain butterflies hatched out of their chrysalises. Temperature changes were also more noticeable and extreme and we had to take precautions to avoid burst pipes and such.

After a few years my routine, my way of living and planning had changed completely. It involved taking note of the present season and time of year, looking back at what had happened the previous year and thinking about what I wanted to do now in the house and garden for the coming year.

My new physical environment had affected my perception of time. I no longer perceived time as one uniform forward flowing force, but one that coiled around itself – moving forward but also revisiting specific times and seasons in a cyclic, almost predictable way.

What happens in one area of our lives usually starts to influence other areas, so it was only a matter of time before this new way of living and perceiving started to influence the professional side of my life. When planning new projects I was more conscious of looking backwards (and sideways) as well as forwards and seeing each new challenge, difficulty or opportunity from the holistic viewpoint of my life overall, rather than as an obstacle somehow separated from the rest of my life that had to be overcome.

Imagine a flexible metal spring or coil. Now get hold of both ends and stretch it out. Notice what happens to the coil – how it becomes taught and stressed.

Now imagine taking the coil and compressing it at either end with your thumb and forefinger. Notice how it resists being pushed together and the pressure it exerts in order to get back to its normal position.

Now put the spring down and notice the position it comes to rest in – how everything looks symmetrical and in balance and how there is no built up stress or tautness (but also no sense of movement or energy).

Now think about time and the analogy of this flexible spring or coil.

Stretched coil time

If we perceive time as something that has to be stretched out as straight as possible, that has to be remorselessly forward moving, never looking back, we are likely to be living in a stretched coil world where things are energetic and challenging. Where vast amounts of powerful creativity and innovation are focused on the goals of ever increasing effectiveness and improvement.

Stretched coil time is the time paradigm strongly associated with a lot of modern organisational change. The accepted wisdom is that to remain relevant and/or profitable organisations have to continually push themselves to and past their limits, ever improving the services they provide and/or the products they offer.

But People and organisations that spend almost all their time in this type of environment will eventually start to suffer. As they rush forward along their stretched out coil of time they will start to develop tunnel vision. They will be travelling so fast that they will not be able to steal a glance backward or to the side. The next goal along the path in front of them will become all – important, and anything that does not contribute towards its achievement will be dismissed or pushed out of the way.

Eventually these stretched people and the stretched organisations they work for will become permanently pulled out of shape, and so too the products and services that they offer: the cheapest option that wins the tender but breaks down the quickest; the latest mobile phone, computer or DVD recorder that is only viable for a year or two because it is almost obsolete before it runs off the production line; the transport service that offers state of the art trains, but runs them on old tracks.

Compressed coil time

If we see time as something that has to be tightly controlled, every little detail planned for and squeezed into place, we are likely to be living in a compressed coil world. Here, every contingency is prepared for and there are no surprises or last minute crises.

But this tight control and the lack of variety and stimulation it causes can act like a pressure cooker. Over time people are likely to react against the claustrophobic environments they have been squeezed into. They may even rebel, break out and cause untold chaos and mayhem.

Compressed coil time occurs most readily and is most appropriate in organisations where work has to be tightly controlled or regulated, such as accounting, the nuclear industry and health and safety.

If, however, a compressed coil time approach is applied to other work areas and organisations where the requirement for control is not so readily obvious, the type of pressure cooker reaction mentioned above can occur.

A good example is the imposition by management of work returns that require staff to account for every minute of every day – to record precisely what activities they were undertaking, when and for how long. There may be good resource management reasons for doing this, but usually these are not well communicated and as a consequence staff can feel that the return is an unwelcome method of invasive control. It is no surprise, therefore, when staff begin to rebel against the system by ’forgetting’ to fill in the return form, or by applying ‘creativity’ to their entries.

If we see time as something akin to the passing and repetition of the seasons, as something that is cyclic in nature, we are likely to be living in a relaxed coil world. Here there is a sense of forward movement, but also a wish to look back and to the side and learn from previous and current experience, just as we learn from previous and current years and seasons. There is likely to be a feeling of natural balance between the past, the future and the present and a sense of renewal as things move forward.

However, there could sometimes be a lack of purposeful forward momentum and direction, and for some people (especially if they are used to living in a stretched coil world) a sense of frustration at the slow pace of change. For others, the slow pace of change could lead to a feeling of complacency.

Public, academic, legal and medical institutions view the world from the perspective of relaxed coil time. A lot of their processes and structures are cyclic and/or based on historical precedent and tradition. Also, when given the choice, they tend to favour gradual, incremental change rather than radical, transformational change.

During our lives, in and out of work, we all perceive and experience these differing types of time to some extent or other. Usually, they are in balance, one type of time perception not taking too much precedence over another. Sometimes, however, they get out of balance and this is when they can start to adversely affect us, and our effective use of time. Look out for the following warning signs:

The key to managing our perception of time and making it work for us is to first recognise how we are perceiving time at any given moment (think of the flexible coil) and then select the time perception we want to use. Basically, we need to ask ourselves:

What is my perception of time now?

Do I need to stretch, relax or compress this perception of time?

If we perceive time as a stretched coil we will:

Hunt out the next challenge and the next developmental opportunity

Look forwards in time rather than look back

Work long hours

Perceive change as a never ending series of steps to be climbed

Perceive deadlines as a series of stakes marking out a pathway into a never ending future full of stimulating surprises

If we spend too long in stretched coil time we will:

Lose track of the passing of time - one hour, day or month will stretch out and merge into the other

Feel physically and mentally exhausted

Feel physically and mentally bent out of shape

Feel under stress and about to snap when presented with what seem like ever increasing challenges and demands

Feel obligated to go with the flow and the speed and tempo of others demands

Work long hours and by doing so help sustain a long hours culture

If we perceive time as a compressed coil we will:

Be aware of every second and seek to make the best use of time that we can

Perceive deadlines as being stacked ahead of us in piles rather than staked out along the path ahead

Plan minutely

Delegate less

See clearly only what is immediately in front of us

If we spend too long in compressed coil time we will:

Stop doing any meaningful delegation at all

Become obsessive about control through planning

Not only perceive deadlines as being stacked in front of us but also feel their weight crushing down on us

No longer be able to see the long-term view at all

Get caught up in the urgent rather than address the important

React dramatically and disproportionately to unexpected demands and challenges

Start to feel trapped and frustrated

Be prone to bouts of anger and annoyance

If we perceive time as a relaxed coil we will:

Look backwards and sideways as well as forwards in time

Feel comfortable and mentally and physically balanced

Feel in control rather than having to control

Feel confident about being able to take things in our stride

If we spend too long in relaxed coil time we will:

Become less inclined to rise to stretching challenges even when it is appropriate to do so

Find it harder to keep up with the speed of activity of others when we need to

Start to feel complacent and a little too comfortable

One of the keys to managing our time well is to ensure that we do not get stuck in any one perception of time for too long. This way we are more likely to benefit from the strengths of each perception rather than their drawbacks.

To avoid spending too long in stretched, relaxed or compressed coil time, and so achieve a healthy balance between time perceptions, try some of the following suggestions:

To avoid spending too long in stretched coil time:

Make yourself aware of time passing

Build review times into your planning where you consider the past as well as the future (particularly at deadline points)

Take regular time outs on a daily, weekly and yearly basis

Identify possible ‘snap points’ and plan how to negotiate them effectively (see later for def. of snap point)

Ask ‘why’ more often and question the flow and direction of the people around you (remember you are not a Lemming)

To avoid spending too long in compressed coil time:

Focus on outputs, the end products required, rather than on the methods of achieving the products

Make a point of delegating

Use a bring forward list or system to spread out deadlines and activities

Make time for long term planning

Evaluate the past week, month or year

Set special emphasis goals – simple tasks or actions that can be done each day or week that address important long term aspirations and objectives

Listen to and incorporate other people’s ideas and suggestions into your work

To avoid spending too much time in relaxed coil time:

You can use the coiled time concept to help with weekly, monthly, yearly and long term planning.

For weekly planning try the following:

Think about the previous week and the coming week. Imagine this time as a flexible metal coil stretching out behind you and in front of you.

What sort of coil is it? Is it stretched, compressed or relaxed? Do you need to change this perception or is it okay for now? If you need to change it, try employing some of the tips above.

Now look back behind you along the coil to the loop that relates to this time last week (each complete loop of the coil represents one day, so the relevant loop will be 7 loops away). What is similar now to last week? What has changed? What has become more urgent or important? What has become less urgent or important?

Gradually move forward along the coil, around each of the loops representing days of the past week, until you reach your present position, remembering, reviewing and learning from the previous week as you go along.

Now look forward along the coil to this time next week (seven loops ahead). What do you want to accomplish by this time next week? What will be important to complete? What will have made your week successful? Gradually work backwards along the coil, around each of the loops representing the days of the coming week. Visualise what you will need to do during each day of the coming week in order to make your week successful.

You can use the above technique for monthly, yearly and long term planning. You can do this by simply dividing the loops of the coil into weeks, months or years as suits your needs.

Imagining moving along the coil in the way described above gives you a structure and guide to not only review the last week and plan the next, but also to re – visualise how you used the time you had and positively visualise how you would like to use the time to come. It encourages you to notice time passing and the experiences, sensations, emotions and situations that have or could in the future accompany it.

It also encourages you to notice the cyclic and variable nature of time – how some situations or experiences, although repeated, are almost always varied or changed by the forward momentum of time and what you do/don’t do as you travel with it: a regular team meeting becomes easier to chair because each week you have worked on improving relationships with your team members; the annual planning round goes more smoothly this year because of the improved budget forecasting you put in place at the end of last year; a second meeting with a client goes better than the first simply because a week has passed and both sides have had time to think.

Some additional questions to ask to enhance use of the coiled time concept

To further enhance your use of the time coil and add to the richness, accuracy and completeness of the reviewing and planning process, practise thinking about some of these additional questions whilst using it:

When looking back along the coil ask: 

What mood were you in that particular day or moment?

What was the weather like that particular day/month?

What happened in the world that day/month/year?

What surprised you?

What did you find out that was new?

What was disappointing? Why?

What did you not enjoy? Why?

What did you enjoy? Why?

What was stimulating?

What emotions did you feel?

What was the office/home like that day?

What did you most value?

What was the same as before?

What was different to before?

When looking forward along the coil ask:

Do you need to compress, stretch or relax your perception of time next week?

What do you need to change/do differently next week/month/year?

What do you see yourself doing and achieving next week/month/year?

Where will you be doing things?

Who will you be talking to/dealing with?

What are you particularly looking forward to and how can you make the best of it?

What specific things are likely to happen next week?

What are you not looking forward to and how do you want to deal with it?

What is the office/home likely to be like next week?

What is likely to be the same as before?

What is likely to be different?

When looking either backwards or forwards along the coil in the way described above, notice where the snap points occurred/are likely to occur.

Snap points are times during the previous or coming week, month or year where you feel the coil of time was or could be stretched so much that it did or could snap. When considering snap points ask your self these questions:

Why did the snap point occur?

Who/what contributed to it occurring? You? Others? Environment? Processes?

Is it likely to occur at a future point of the coil again? When? Why? How?

What can you/others do to manage the snap point or stop it occurring?

Do you need to switch to relaxed coil time or would compressed coil time be better? How could you do this?

 

Lastly, why bother with coils and perceptions of time at all? Why not just pick up as many good, straightforward hints, tips and approaches as you can from the many good quality time management books and courses on offer and just get on with it?

Thinking of time as a physical thing gives it substance. When something has substance it is easier to perceive. When something is easier to perceive it is easier to make sense of and manage.

Consistently practising and using the coiled time approach conditions us into thinking of time as something that is not just straight line and invisible, but as something that is cyclic and contains an ongoing richness of experience (a richness that is all too easily discounted or missed entirely). It invites us to revisit the environments, situations, emotions and sensations that we experienced as time passed and to anticipate the wide range of experiences we may have in the future. Visualising time as a flexible coil makes our changing perceptions and experiences of time tangible, knowable and manageable.

Using the coiled time approach offers us the freedom to make choices about how we perceive and manage our relationship with time. Being able to recognise and choose how we perceive time at any given moment is a strong foundation for true time management, as it allows us to align our perceptions of time with the current needs of our lives and work. With this ability we can start to feel confident that we are beginning to focus on the right things at the right time, in the right way and for the right reasons.

We can perceive time as straight line – linear and forward facing (stretched coil time). 

We can perceive time as tightly controlled (compressed coil time) 

We can perceive time as cyclic, like the seasons (relaxed coil time)

Each perception affects the way we live and work.

Each perception has its strengths and weaknesses.

To make the most of the strengths of each perception of time we need to make sure that we achieve a balance between them. We need to ensure that we do not form the habit of perceiving time in one way at the expense of all the others.

If we get stuck in one perception of time we are likely to start experiencing the drawbacks associated with it: 

If we spend too long in stretched coil time we are likely to become tired, stressed, judgemental and dismissive. 

If we spend too long in compressed coil time we are likely to become stale, under – stimulated, frustrated and ultimately rebellious. 

If we spend too long in relaxed coil time we are likely to become complacent and slow in response to new challenges.

We can make our perception of time work for us by recognising how we perceive time at any given moment and by choosing the perception of time we want to use.

Some tips for recognising and managing time perception are given above.

The coiled time concept can be used for planning and organising. A description of how to do this is given above.

The coiled time approach to planning adds value by encouraging us to re – visualise time as it passed: our experiences, sensations, emotions, and to visualise how we would like to use our time in the future. It also encourages us to identify and address possible snap points – places where we think it likely that problems or difficulties may cause our perception of time to twist out of shape and snap.

The coiled time concept is important because it offers us the ability to control our perception of time. Being able to control our perception of time is a strong foundation for effective time management, as it allows us to align our perceptions of time with the needs of our lives and work.

This alignment allows us to begin to feel confident that we are focusing on the right things at the right time, in the right way and for the right reasons.

Acknowledgement:

The original inspiration for this article came from reading 'A Sideways Look at Time' by Jay Griffiths.