I recently watched the TED Talk, “What How You View Time Says About You” (see video below) where Anne-Laure Sellier shares the findings of her research on how we use time. She uses the term “clock-timers” to describe those who rely on the clock to schedule their tasks and “even-timers” to describe those who move from task to task based on the causation and correlation of the tasks and how they feel.
She explains that “clock-timers” tend to have a more chaotic view of the world and are less likely to savor positive emotions and experiences. Even timers, on the other hand, are able to be “in the moment” and savor their experiences
Sellier looks at how our relationship with the clock affects our performance. Through her research, she found that relying on the clock to dictate when you move from task to task can impair your performance on non-standard tasks.
With the recent push towards mindfulness and being in the moment/focused when we are performing tasks, maybe the first step to increased performance is to shift the way in which we go about our days in the first place. Instead of letting the clock dictate when we move from task to task, what if we build enough flexibility in our schedules to tune in with our internal feelings and perform tasks in an “even-timer” way?
I highly recommend taking the 18 minutes to watch this talk. It might shift how you move through your day. How would you describe yourself, as a clock-timer or an even-timer?
