The Tao of Time

The Tao of Time states that the problem we have with time is that we don't feel we have enough of it, nor do we feel in control of time. "More and more, time has come to exercise a tyrannical influence over our lives. There is never enough of it, no matter how carefully or cleverly we organize and plan." (from the book's jacket) And time management techniques at best provide short-term relief from our 'time poverty' and struggles with time, and for many of us such techniques have actually intensified the problems. "In an effort to capture and control time, we buy into a prepackaged approach. We begin enthusiastically, eager to launch offensives against bad habits. . . . We organize and set priorities as the system dictates and refer frequently to a bag of timely tricks to help us get a handle on this capricious entity, but more often than not we find that the conventional methods of managing our time simply do not work." (pp. 9-10) "At the end of the day, you've accomplished some of what you'd intended to do--but you feel harassed that you didn't do it all. Your frustration level rises. You can't put your finger on why you feel dissatisfied." (p. 30) "We still aren't comfortable with time. . . . These systems don't deliver the promised results. Instead of feeling in control of time, we feel confined by our routine. We search for freedom, but we find frustration. And we don't discover more time." (p. 31) "We think we're buying time, but we're getting structure." (p. 29) The authors argue that traditional time management really cannot resolve these problems. Control and relief will never result from even the most clever ways of organizing, prioritizing, and scheduling external clock time. "We never seem to find the perfect scheduling solution . . . ." (p. 8) "We've mastered every conceivable methodology and it isn't enough. No matter how accomplished and efficient we become, we can't keep up with time today." (p. 33) "Our contemporary time machines have failed. The organizer notebook may be this decade's status symbol, but time still slips away." (p. 32) "When the emphasis [in time mangement] is on immediate problem solving [I would say the emphasis in traditional time management is on quickly completing tasks and not problem solving] rather than on personal growth, being is never introduced. While with these methods you may alleviate some time pressures temporarily, because your state of being is not affected, you never generate any deep or lasting changes in how you view and interact with time. . . . Ultimately you return to your old ways, and with new frustration." (p. 149) Although Hait and Hunt say that time management will not solve our time problems, they do believe that our felt temporal limitations can be successfully dealt with: "It [time] has enabled us to create the walls and rooms of our existence. In our rush to build, however, we've forgotten that while we have the ability to construct these walls, we also have the power to tear