How to Master Time
By: Jason Mcbride
Tags: Mindfulness, Time, Comics, Parenting, Time Management

Have you ever heard a pro athlete talk about being in the zone? That’s the same thing as The Flow.

It’s a magical place where your concentration is so centered on something outside of yourself that time slows down. Elite football and basketball players often talk about the game slowing down. They are talking about The Flow.

Runners, cyclists, and surfers often experience it as well. But, you don’t have to be doing something physical like that to enter The Flow.

Image by Jason McBride, altered from licensed Canva images

I’m a working writer. That’s how I pay my bills.

Image by Jason McBride

When I am working on a project, I often fall into a kind of trance.

Image by Jason McBride

I am no longer typing away on my computer, trying to think of what to write. The keyboard and monitor disappear from my conscious perception. I am taking dictation from the Universe. This is The Flow.

It’s bliss.

In experimenting with The Flow, I have found that I can enter into it if I am willing to be absolutely present in the moment. Sometimes reading does this for me.

But, my most sublime experiences are when I enter The Flow with my family.

This last trick, getting into The Flow with other people, takes preparation and dedication to mindfulness.

One Sunday afternoon, I had a life-altering moment that lasted hours. Our family spent the morning taking care of everything we needed to do to prepare for the next day. We made lunches, finished homework, and picked out clothes for school.

Then we went outside, and none of us took our electronics. My children and I ran around with our dog Loki. The kids were pretending Loki was a golden snitch, and they were seekers trying to catch him. All of us were zooming around the lawn, laughing and cheering.

Eventually, Loki wore us all out.

The kids and I collapsed on the grass, panting and giggling.

Image by Jason McBride

In a flash, I realized time had stopped during our play and was now moving again. We had been in The Flow.

During the chase, all I was thinking about was that moment. I was not thinking about future tasks or past mistakes. Even now, almost three years later, I vividly remember the freedom and contentment being with the dog and the kids that afternoon.

This memory is like a mug of hot chocolate on a freezing winter day.

Image by Jason McBride

It warms my soul and makes me smile every time.

Image by Jason McBride

I had managed to stop time. I am not a wizard or a time lord.

Image by Jason McBride

I am just a fat, bald, middle-aged dad.

Image by Jason McBride

Time stopped because we had done the work of removing as many distractions as possible. While on the lawn with the kids and Loki, my complete focus was on them. I gave them all of me.

Time stopped, and we just existed with each other.

That moment is now mine forever. Next week, next month, and as long as my cognitive abilities holdout, I will be able to remember that transcendental moment. More importantly, that transcendental moment is now part of my children’s life experience.

You can master time by focusing entirely on the present moment.

That’s the secret.

What are you going to do with it?