People Power: Time can do so much – August/September 2024

By Sam Allman

I was listening to some oldies music recently, and ever since, the refrain from “Unchained Melody” has been ringing in my ears: “Time goes by so slowly, and time can do so much.” Why do these few words, lyrics from a song written almost 70 years ago, still resonate with me and push me to write a column about them in Floor Focus in 2024? The words resonate because that lyric is full of profound truth that affects “people power.”

TIME AS A RESOURCE
Time is the only resource divvied up equally to all human beings on a daily basis. No matter our race, ethnicity or social standing, technically, we all have the same amount of it: 24 hours in a day, seven days in a week, 52 weeks in a year. If we take care of ourselves and our bodies, some of us may live longer, so we may ultimately receive more time than others. The problem is you cannot accumulate it; you can’t save it for another day. “Lost time is never found again,” said Benjamin Franklin. Time well used, however, can produce a ginormous return on investment. That’s why time matters, why it can do so much. And it matters all the time. But time seems to go by so slowly…

Time, our greatest resource and our greatest gift, can make our dreams come true and provide for us beyond our wildest expectations, but in order for time to provide, we need to be patient. We cannot have it all now; we have to wait for time to do its work. “The two most powerful warriors are patience and time,” said Leo Tolstoy. Patience and time are a dynamic team when working synergistically together and can produce and provide for us almost whatever we want. However, time’s slow nature is not to instantly gratify with staggering results. Consider the process of learning a new skill, developing a talent or maturing to adulthood. Mastery doesn’t happen overnight; it requires consistent effort and dedication over time. A novice musician, for instance, transforms into a virtuoso only after years of practice and refinement.

The passage of time allows for the accumulation of experience, the deepening of understanding and the honing of abilities. On an individual level, time plays a crucial role in personal growth. Partnering with time can make us rich, famous, learned, renowned, wise. However, there is one caveat: We must use our personal allotment of time effectively and put in the effort and work. When we don’t, it takes time longer to help us produce what we want, if at all. Time is like money. When we spend it, the benefits are immediate and tangible. That’s instant gratification. But the downside of spending money in that fashion is that it typically offers no financial return. Similarly, wasted, unused or poorly spent time is gone, and its potential to contribute is lost. As with money, the power of time works most effectively when invested rather than spent. Investing involves allocating resources to assets or ventures with the expectation of generating a return.

Common investment vehicles for time are investments in ourselves, those that create personal growth. Those include learning, studying, practicing, improving, networking, skill building, etc. All require hard work, a little bit of suffering (repetition and failure), and demanding practice. The more deliberate our practice, the better our performance. Remind yourself how much effort it took you to learn to walk, read or master almost any of your skills. It’s not the hours you put into your work that count, it’s the work you put into the hours.

Evidence reveals that lack of natural talent is irrelevant to great success, but painful and demanding practice and hard work are integral. In fact, you can achieve greatness in almost anything-though, of course, not in everything because there is never enough time. You must choose. The most important skills to constantly develop, maintain and enhance are your own capabilities. That’s the single greatest investment you can make because it leverages everything else.

In almost any field, any endeavor, you can achieve greatness by simply using your allotment of time to outwork everyone else in deliberate practice to improve your performance. But those extra steps are particularly painful and almost never done. Work is hard enough for most people without pushing harder. Think of Michael Phelps, Jerry Rice, Warren Buffett, Tom Brady, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Ernest Hemingway or Tiger Woods. If great performance were easy, it wouldn’t be so rare. Maybe we can’t expect most people to achieve greatness-it’s just too demanding-but the liberating news is that greatness isn’t reserved for a preordained few. It is available to everyone. “The evidence does not support the premise that excelling is a consequence of innate gifts,” found researchers Michael Howe, Jane Davidson and John Sloboda).

TIME AS A TEACHER
You achieve greatness only through an enormous amount of hard work over many years. Apparently, there is a ten-year rule: It takes ten years of hard work to become “world class.” The ten-year rule represents a very rough estimate, and most researchers regard it as a minimum, not an average. In many fields, elite performers need 20 or 30 years of experience before hitting their zenith, said researchers John Horn and Hiromi Masunaga. By the way, consistency is crucial. That’s why “a successful life does not result from chance, nor is it determined by fate or good fortune, but from a succession of successful days,” said author Ari Kiev, M.D. “The future depends on what we do in the present, today, now or in this moment,” said Mahatma Gandhi.

What governs our quest for greatness, learning or performance improvement is our willingness to delay gratification. Research is clear: Delaying gratification for a desired result is a critical component in the quest for success, however it is defined. The secret to doing hard things is to create a vision of a future desired result that is compelling, desirable and motivating. The sheer will to achieve something eventually fails unless it is coupled with a compelling desired outcome. Our natural tendency is, if gratification is immediately available, grab it. As the message proclaims, “You only go around once in life; grab the gusto while you can.”

The best short-term strategy is to think long term. World- class entrepreneurs, chess and poker players are always thinking at least a few moves ahead. They are always considering what the consequences of their actions now will be in the future. When you are good at delaying gratification, you can use your most valuable resource, time, to help your quest or have whatever you want. So, if you have spent much of your time working on yourself, seeking knowledge, learning the differences between truth and conjecture, seeking great skills, honing those skills to improve their effectiveness and performance, the odds are you are becoming like aged fine wine.

Aging is an inevitable aspect of life that, contrary to popular belief, can enhance certain qualities and attributes rather than diminish them. One such attribute is wisdom, which is profoundly shaped by a combination of aging, continuous learning and experience. Scholars and thinkers often produce their most profound work later in life. The cumulative knowledge and the ability to synthesize complex ideas grow richer.

This process can be compared to the aging of fine wines and foods, where time and the right conditions enhance their quality and complexity. For instance, fine wines are carefully aged in optimal conditions to develop complex flavors and aromas. The tannins in the wine soften over time, and the interaction of various compounds creates a more harmonious and intricate profile. Similarly, as cheeses and cured meats mature, they develop deeper flavors and more refined textures as enzymes break down proteins and fats. These processes are not merely about the passage of time but also about the conditions under which aging occurs. Proper storage, temperature and humidity control are essential for achieving the desired outcomes in wines and foods. In the context of human aging, the conditions include continuous learning, reflection and a supportive environment that encourages growth and resilience.

Just as neglect or poor conditions can ruin a fine wine, a lack of learning and reflection can lead to stagnation rather than wisdom. As individuals age, they accumulate a vast array of experiences and knowledge, which, when reflected upon and understood, can lead to deeper insights and better decision-making. Learning plays a crucial role in this process, as it allows individuals to adapt to new situations, integrate new information and reassess previous understandings. The power and passage of time really does affect the person you become. “Time is relative; its only worth depends upon what we do as it is passing,” said Albert Einstein.

TIME AS A HEALER
In essence, the passage of time can facilitate emotional resilience, growth and a shift in perspective, all of which contribute to softening the heart and allowing for healing and forgiveness. Time is a critical component in emotional and psychological healing. After a traumatic event, the adage “time heals all wounds” often holds true. We must be patient and let time and our body do their work. While the pain may never completely disappear, the intensity of emotions and the ability to cope improve with time. Grief is a process that unfolds gradually. Losing a loved one may be initially overwhelming, but the sorrow diminishes as time passes, eventually allowing individuals to remember loved ones with fondness rather than just pain.

Likewise, time can reduce an angry heart and soften the related emotions. As time passes, the intensity of emotions like anger, sadness or betrayal often decreases, allowing for a more balanced perspective. That’s why during intense moments with others, it may be a good strategy to walk away, cease fanning the fire, and let time dissipate the fierceness of the emotions. Sometimes we should sleep on an important email or response. Time gives us space to think things through rather than to emotionally react.

When we are apart from someone we care about, time makes us appreciate the positive qualities they bring to our lives. Distance can help us reflect on their importance, leading to stronger feelings of love and affection. Absence can trigger nostalgia, where we recall happy memories and moments shared with the person. This longing can heighten our emotional connection and deepen our affection.

With time, people often re-evaluate what is truly important to them. This re-evaluation can lead to the realization that holding on to negative emotions is not beneficial, prompting them to let go and move on. Long-term relationships, whether familial, platonic or romantic, often improve with time as individuals grow to understand and appreciate each other more deeply. Shared experiences and the resolution of conflicts over time can lead to stronger, more resilient bonds. Perspective and understanding change over time; people gain a broader perspective on events and relationships. They might come to understand the reasons behind certain actions or behaviors, which can lead to empathy and forgiveness. And as time goes on, people have new experiences and form new memories which provide joy and fulfillment, helping to shift focus away from past grievances.

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