Yes, as Pricemart begins to haul out the bargain X-mas decor, and stores all around begin to offer their layaway programs and cheesy holiday slogans we are assaulted by the reality that yet another year is almost over and half of our To Do List items remain unchecked.
Where did the year go? Why am I here facing applications and feeling totally unprepared? Do not fret, you are not alone!
But why? what is it about time that seems to speed up with every passing year? who has not heard the adage “The older you get the faster time seems to go.” but why? what does age have to do with this? Granted, I remember that as a child, the return of Christmas used to take forever, today (many many moons later) it hardly seems worth the effort to take down the decorations since they seem to be coming right back up in a matter of weeks! Another time tested phrase: “Time flies when you are having fun” SO true! but as we get older we are not necessarily having fun all the time, and time continues to fly by regardless!. Oh sure there are many baffling philosophical and psychological explanations, many others in the realms of science call on aging brain functions and neurotransmitter operations that elude my own mental grasp. But I think in the long run it all boils down to looking forward and looking back.
As we age, we inevitably begin to create future scenarios and goals: what to become, where to study, who to date, what to pursue and what to let go of to mention only the most obvious. These goals come with their share of expectation, anticipation and retrospection.
We are so concentrated on looking forward towards our “impending” projects that we ignore the no less important accomplishments that are happening in the periphery. Once our goal is reached and done with, we suddenly look back and become aware of all the overlooked experiences, all that happened while we were locked in tunnel vision and entranced in what tomorrow could bring. That’s when we realize how much has happened in an apparent wink of an eye and we exclaim: “ Where has the time gone???” The answer is …Nowhere, time and life have continued to move at their regular pace regardless of our indifference. All we took for granted yesterday is gone and probably irretrievable, at least in its original state. So although we have heard this one a million times before…please stop and smell the roses. Life is not only a matter of goals, it’s a matter of collecting experiences and lessons that fill each day with purpose.
Stop rushing forward towards your objectives and begin making each day worthwhile. Before you know it you will be old and gray and without a clue as to what you did with your life in between achievements. So do your friends a favor the next time the exclaim “Wow its almost Christmas” tell them to exhale and slow down, the journey is way better than the destination.
Here is a priceless tool that has help many students in getting structured during stressful times:
