Comments on: The value of time

By: Arswino

Arswino — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:14:17 +0000

An interesting topic, Ross. I don't wear a watch too, like many of people here. It is not that I do not appreciate time, I just do not want to look at my watch too much. It is uncomfortable for me. Beside I can also see the time on my handphone. Arswino’s last blog post..Bend, but Don’t Break

By: Ross

Ross — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:01:41 +0000

@Blogger – Hey there.. So weekends are out, hey? Sounds like an interesting idea… Makes me think about mobile phones etc – I wonder if people are more inclined to switch theirs off etc as well as getting rid of clocks on weekends?!

@Mike – Great to hear your experiences with this! Sounds like you’ve got the no-watch thing down pat…

By: Mike King

Mike King — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 06:25:32 +0000

This is a great discussion here on a great post. I’ll add to the stories of loving NOT wearing a watch. I haven’t worn on for years. Nor do I have a cell phone and so obviously I can’t check it for time.

It’s been liberating to NOT always have the time and it’s also trained me to track time and value time much more. I can sense how long something is without checking and that forces me to recognize when I’m wasting time much easier as well.

I wore a watch for a couple days a few weeks ago for a number of business meetings that I thought I might NEED it at and at the end of the second day, I was asked for the time, and I realized my watch was several hours off. Clearly I had not actually needed it!

By: Dee Langdon - BloggerNewbie

Dee Langdon - BloggerNewbie — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 17:59:51 +0000

Hey Ross, Looks like this was a timely subject for everyone. Okay, my very small attempt at humor, I won't quit my day job. Which brings me to the actual comment. I refuse to live by a clock on the weekends. I am required to clock watch all day every day during the work week. Time constraints stress me out so, no, not when I don't have to. Dee Langdon - BloggerNewbie’s last blog post..Do All Parent’s Want A “Do Over”?

By: Ross

Ross — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 01:03:20 +0000

@Pace – Hi there.. Will be interested to see how you went – as I mentioned, I struggled on my first attempt! Good luck.

@Julie – Wow, I’m amazed to hear about people who are able to get by for so long without wearing a watch! The sun thing works well for things like lunch etc, not so good for movie times unfortunately! Thanks for commenting..

@Neil – Hi, thanks for commenting. I like how you mention ‘right now will never happen again’. Reminds me of a quote along similar lines, something like ‘the most important time in your life is right now’ – good to remember to make the most of things.

@Ian – Another person who is able to make do without a watch! I’m getting good at looking at the back of my wrist also, not sure how long I can keep it up for! My problem is not only that I’m hooked on ‘time keeping’, I also love watches!

@Lance – welcome! It’s great to hear different people’s ideas and experiences with time, particularly because it makes up so much of our lives. I’m amazed you’ve managed for so long without a watch! Thanks for commenting..

By: Ross

Ross — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 00:57:19 +0000

@Vincent – Yep, I’m so used to it also that I think it’s gonna take some time to wind down!

@Carla – I know where you’re coming from! I find it really hard to ditch the ‘time mentality’, it’s so ingrained… I think a key might be having ‘days off’ so to speak..

@Betsy – Wow, 3 years! I’m amazed… well done! I think I would miss my watch too much if I went longer than a few days!

@Chris – howdy! Yeah, I think that’s a lot like me… I was thinking about how much I rely on time when I wrote the article! Sometimes it’s a good thing to be organised, but other times I wish I could just relax a whole lot more!

By: Lance

Lance — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 23:22:48 +0000

Hi Ross,
I’m late to the party here – you’ll have to forgive me, it’s because I don’t wear a watch!!

On a more serious note – I don’t wear a watch, and haven’t for many years. That doesn’t mean I still don’t rely on time – with work, kids activities, and meetings – time is very important. And yet, I really enjoy being without a watch, so that “when” I don’t need to value a specific time as much, I can feel more carefree. I really don’t think I can ever go back to wearing a watch. I see Marelisa mentioned about a retreat I was on – and there we no clocks whatsoever. Very strange at first, yet we all adjusted and time just kind of flowed as needed.

So, I’m all for taking the watch off, and just spending some time soaking up the moments of our lives, with less focus on what the time is at “this exact moment”… Good luck with your experiment Ross!

Lance’s last blog post..Kindness Comes In Small Gestures

By: Ian Peatey

Ian Peatey — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 23:37:30 +0000

Hi Ross. I'm one of those in the category 'haven't worn a watch in years'. Discarding my watch was one of the two most liberating things I did in the last years (the other was getting rid of my TV). It was scary at first, especially as large elements of my days are scheduled. But I found there are so many clocks and watches around so I'm never far from being able to tell the time - if I choose. Took me about 6 months of habitually looking at the back of my wrist where my watch used to sit to realise how much time controlled me. I recommend it to everyone! Ian Ian Peatey’s last blog post..Doomed to be violently entertained

By: Neil

Neil — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:08:07 +0000

Interesting idea. I'm one of those people who hasn't worn a watch in well over six years. I do have a cell phone which I can check the time on, but when I'm going about my day I try to focus on the here and now and enjoy myself. After all right now will never happen again, if I'm to busy worrying about being on time for 5 minutes from now well life will pass me by. Neil’s last blog post..7 Tips On Selecting An Investment Professional

By: Julie

Julie — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:00:01 +0000

Good for you for trying, Ross! My watches have been in my drawer for about fifteen years. I’m with Betsy; there’s ALWAYS something available that will tell you the time. You needn’t feel the restriction of wearing “time.” Once you become used to it, you’ll be absolutely amazed how unencumbered you feel! I can’t imagine ever wearing one again.

Oh, btw, if you have access to the sun (some places are just too cloudy), you can start to gauge the general time of day by where the sun is. It’s an easy reference point for general info: yard chores, look up, see it’s early afternoon…you’ve another couple of hours before you need to think about getting dinner started… nice!

Julie’s last blog post.."A Flower for the World"