Here we are, the end of June, and that happened in a blink, didn’t it? The speed with which life throws itself behind us as we get older, has irked me for years. So I went to Mr. Google and read the research of scholars and psychology experts linked to respected schools and organizations.
It comes down to this: the more familiar you are with what you’re doing, the faster time seems to pass. Not little-picture time, the way a clock seems to stand still while you’re filling out mounds of similar paperwork. But big-picture time, as in weeks, months and years.
When we’re kids, everything is new. Discovery slows time to a crawl because the brain is engaged and lit up with excitement. The older we get, the more things become routine and the brain can pretty much guide you through a task in its sleep, or while it dreams of laying on a beach in Mexico. This explains why childhood memories can be so vivid, why things that happened on your first job are more memorable than on your third or fourth and why some people get hung up on so-called “glory days”.
It’s true isn’t it? Two years ago, we went on an amazing motorcycle ride through Arizona, up to the Grand Canyon and began and ended in Las Vegas. What else happened that year? Um, well, gee. Same old, same old, I suppose. It’s the new, different experiences that stand out. The rest is all brain matter mush.
The key is to incorporate new experiences into the old routine, making each day stand out in some way. Something as simple as taking an unfamiliar route home sets that day apart from the rest, especially if you get lost! It all centres on living a life, not just being alive. It’s one of the reasons why people skydive and hike and travel and explore and keep learning, even if they don’t know it. In my own experience, I know that if I don’t have something to look forward to, like a carrot on a stick, I’m antsy. Even if it’s months away, just knowing it’s coming is enough to keep me from jumping out of my skin over too much sameness in my life. Try as we might, we’ll never really make time slow down but with a little knowledge, we can fight back a little when our lives threaten to rush past us in a blur.
Interesting perspective. It could however explain that in my youth I was a poor student but as I’ve gotten older learning and education has become an intricate part of my life, both for career and personal satisfaction. Now, where did that last few minutes go, I know they’re around here somewhere.
This makes a lot of sense. For me, some months whiz past before I know it but overall, I don’t think life has moved up to warp speed…. yet. 🙂 Great post!