We are saving more time than ever.
Technology has made almost everything faster.
Messages take seconds.
Information is instant.
Tasks that used to take hours now take minutes.
And yet, it still feels like we don’t have enough time.
At The Forum this week, Emel Küçük asked a simple question.
What’s the rush?
We’re Obsessed With Being Efficient
There are reasons for this.
Being fast has always had value.
It helped us survive.
It helped us use less energy.
It gives us a sense of control.
And now, it gives us something else.
A reward.
We feel good when we get things done quickly.
So we keep chasing it.
Faster.
More productive.
More efficient.
Technology Has Given Us Time Back
Or at least, it seems that way.
Think about what used to take time.
Sending a letter.
Finding information.
Travelling somewhere new.
All of it has been compressed.
What once took days or hours now takes seconds.
We have, in theory, gained time.
But there is a problem.
What Are We Doing With That Time?
Despite all these gains, it doesn’t feel like we have more space.
Time still feels limited.
Rushed.
Managed.
Controlled.
So Emel pushed the question further.
If we are saving all this time…
where is it going?
The Problem With Time Management
There are endless systems to help us manage time.
Prioritise the big things.
Fit everything into a structure.
Optimise your day.
This “rocks, pebbles, and sand” idea is one example:
Focus on what matters first.
It sounds sensible.
But Emel challenged it directly.
What if the problem isn’t how we organise time, but how we think about it?
Break the Jar
Instead of trying to fit everything into the jar… Break the damn jar!
The structure itself might be the issue.
We try to fit responsibilities, expectations, and distractions into something that was never meant to hold it all.
So we keep adjusting.
But we never question the system.
Time Is Not As Fixed As We Think
One of the more interesting ideas in the talk is this.
Time is elastic.
We say we don’t have time.
But often, what we mean is something else.
It’s not a priority.
When something urgent happens, we find time.
We adjust.
We make space.
So maybe the issue is not time itself.
But how we choose to use it.
Efficiency Isn’t Always the Goal
Efficiency might be useful.
But it can also take something away.
“Efficiency is the thief of passion.”
When everything becomes optimised, something human gets lost.
The slower moments.
Not knowing what to do next.
Taking time to think.
Stopping to look around.
Those things don’t look productive.
But they matter.
You Don’t Always Need to Improve
We are constantly told to improve.
To be better.
To do more.
To use time well.
You don’t always need to be improving.
You don’t always need to make progress.
Sometimes, you can just exist.
So What’s the Rush?
We rush towards the next thing.
The next goal.
The next version of ourselves.
But once we get there, it doesn’t stop.
We just want more.
So the question returns: What’s the rush?
A Small Challenge
At some point this week, I challenge you to remove the concept of time.
No rush.
No justification.
Just exist.
A Question to Sit With
Emel left a few questions behind.
But one stands out.
Do you manage time, or does time manage you?
It sounds simple.
But it might not be.
Because the answer shapes how we live.
Links
Website - https://theforumatq.co.uk
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@theforumatQ
