The New Crop: Issue #31
lie detectives + the lie we tell ourselves about time + the BICEPS model
What’s in this issue:
💭 Thought: The lie we tell ourselves about time
📚 Read: The BICEPS Model
😆 Today’s Laugh
💭 Today’s Thought
How many times each day do we say or hear phrases like:
“I don’t have enough time.”
“The week is going by so quickly.”
“I wish I had a few more hours in the day…”
“I can’t do that right now.”
Recently, I was inspired to explore my own use of these phrases, as a result of reading Gay Hendricks’s book The Big Leap. Here’s the passage that unleashed my exploration:
One particular phrase I’d like you to eliminate is this common one: “I don’t have time to do that right now.” …
It’s a lie for two reasons: First, time is not something you have or don’t have. You’re the source of it, and you make as much of it as you want. Second, when you say, “I don’t have time to do that right now,” you’re telling a polite lie to avoid saying, “I don’t want to do that right now.” By placing the blame on time, you avoid confronting the blunt truth of the matter.
Check in with yourself as you read this — does it feel true for you? (It did for me, and hit me like a ton of bricks.)
The fact is, we make time for what’s most important.
If we’re not making time for certain activities, it either means they’re not important enough to us, or that there’s an unconscious commitment that gets in the way.
Some ways you might explore this for yourself:
If a Martian were to observe you for one week, what might it report back to its friends about what’s important to you, based on how you allocate your time and what you say you don’t have time for?
Simply notice yourself using phrases like “I don’t have time…”. No need to change anything right now, but just notice when it happens. When and how often do you say it? What’s your energy like when you say it? In that moment, does it feel like there’s another truth lurking beneath it?
Run an experiment: try not saying phrases like, “I don’t have time…” Do you notice any shifts in your energy, activities, or connection with others as a result?
🖊️ Today’s reflection
If you’re new to journaling, I highly encourage you to read Nancy Adler’s article: Want to be an outstanding leader? Keep a journal.
This week, find a quiet place and gift yourself 10 minutes to reflect on any of these prompts (or invent your own!):
What does it mean to make time?
What’s something you often say you don’t have time for? If we went looking for unconscious commitments, what (if anything) might we find?
📚 Today’s Read
“There are six core needs researchers find are important for humans (both at work and in our personal lives). Each of us have a personal hierarchy for the six however: You might find that equity and belonging are most important to you, but choice and status are most important to your employee, your partner, your child. Getting to know them is a shortcut to better communication, as well as greater inclusivity at work.” Click here to discover the six core needs.
See you next week!
xo,
Anne