When “I Don’t Have Enough Time” Isn’t the Whole Story

How many times have I said to myself, I don’t have enough time?

My relationship with time has been a major source of stress and overwhelm over the years. I imagine I’m not alone; time seems to be a major stressor for so many of us. Can you relate?

Years ago, my teacher Judith Hanson Lasater said something that radically shifted how I think about time and my relationship to it:

“When we feel like we don’t have enough time, it’s because we’re spending time doing things that are not aligned with our highest values.”

That line has stayed with me. How many times have I felt like I didn’t have time for my yoga practice, yet somehow managed to spend thirty minutes scrolling on Instagram? Maybe you saw my recent confession about trying to break the habit of taking my phone with me to the bathroom (posted on instagram).

But here’s what’s changed: on the days when I feel like I don’t have enough time, I’m now more aware of the places where I’m spending time on things I don’t actually value.

That awareness has shifted my entire relationship with time. Instead of being a source of stress, it’s become a relationship where I feel empowered and can make choices that truly support me. I catch myself sitting on the toilet phone in hand and I choose to put the phone down. 

So my question for you is this: Where are you spending time on things you don’t value?

I’m not talking about the things we don’t particularly enjoy but still need to do; cleaning, taking out the garbage (these are some of mine). I’m talking about the time we lose to things that serve no real purpose and may even be lowering our energy, our mood, our sense of presence.

Noticing those moments is the first step in reclaiming our time and realigning it with what matters most.