One of my favorite content creators is Dana K. White who writes the blog A Slob Comes Clean. If you have clutter issues, she is a kindred soul, and she helped me break through my mental block about getting rid of clutter. She also pointed out something in her book long before I ever heard the term “time blindness.” Healthline (2023) defines “time blindness” as the mental condition that prevents people from processing the passage of time and managing their use of time. For individuals with ADHD, this can be a real struggle. If you want to further understand “time blindness,” you can read the Healthline article by clicking this link or the reference below.
In her book Decluttering at the Speed of Life, Dana K. White (2018) talks about what she creatively calls TPAD, or time passage awareness disorder. She defines it as an unrealistic understanding of how long a task will take. Therefore, we either take way longer to do something than we thought it would take, or we decide not to do something because we incorrectly assume it will take longer than it actually will. I have never felt more kinship with another spirit than I did with her when I read that definition! As far as I know, I don’t have ADHD or “time blindness,” but I definitely have TPAD, especially when it comes to underestimating how much time a task will take.
When I write, I go to another place in my head, and I mumble “uh-huh” and “yes” or “no” when people speak to me because I’m so distracted. Writing a blog post always takes me longer than I expect. Just coming up with the words I want to use can take me longer than I plan. I learned throughout this year that I just don’t write very fast. Plus, I’m an editing nightmare. I must read and reread something while I type, and then I read it again before I post it. Then I read it all over again once I move it to WordPress. Writing just takes longer than I realized, and I’m glad I’ve learned this particular point this year. It has helped me be realistic about what I can and cannot do in a given amount of time.
Also, when I’m writing fiction, I have to give myself time to write and reread previous material for continuity and clarity. Let’s be honest, writers don’t remember every little detail we drop into a storyline from one day to the next. I reread to remind myself so I don’t create storyline problems later. Creating written content is not a speedy process, and it is mentally – and sometimes emotionally – taxing. I always have to remind myself when I’m writing that time can get away from me if I don’t pay attention. There are days when that is just fine, but there are days when that just doesn’t work with my schedule. As much as I would love to have days where I don’t have to plan anything so I can just write, it isn’t realistic at this point in my life.
When we find ourselves planning a new project, it’s important we give ourselves plenty of time to complete all the steps. It would be better to complete a project early than to have an incomplete mess on our hands because we didn’t give ourselves enough time. There are days and weeks when I know I won’t have time to write a well-thought-out post so I just don’t try. I’d rather not post any content than post poorly written content.
This is our reminder to give ourselves enough time to get our projects done even if it feels like an unreasonable amount of time. Even that realization is a lesson learned. If a project takes too long, is it the kind of activity we want to continue, or is it beyond the return on our investment of time? Plan ahead and work early so you can complete your project, and then evaluate whether it was worth the time and effort.
Reference:
Pederson, Traci. (2023 September 29). What Is Time Blindness? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/time-blindness
White, Dana K. (2018). Decluttering at the Speed of Life. W Publishing Group.
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Inspirational Verse for the Day:
But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me. Make Your face shine upon Your servant; save me for Your mercies’ sake. (Psalm 31:14-16, NKJV)
All Things Subject to Change 