Time: A Matter of Perspective

Have you ever thought about time...how you view it, how you use it, how it impacts on your life?

Time Perspective is a way for Psychologists to categorise how we function in the context of the past, present or future, where our preference is, and how that affects our behaviour.   Understanding our own time preferences, and how we can influence and use them, as well as understanding those of people around us, can have a big positive impact on relationships.

Are you often frustrated by a colleague who seems to always leave everything to the last minute, only just meeting deadlines, whereas you like to get everything done in advance, with to-do lists, progress charts, and a clear plan to avoid the last-minute stress? Or perhaps it's the other way around? Understanding how your colleague's and your time preferences (in the first example, your colleague may have a 'Present Hedonistic' time preference, whereas you may have a 'Future' one) impact on your behaviour and your work patterns can be a huge help in reducing conflict and tension in the workplace.

As part of my MAPP (MSc in Applied Positive Psychology), I have written a blog post about Time Perspectives - what they are, how to find out yours, and why they matter, as well as how to use that knowledge to help you achieve goals and improve relationships.

You can read the full blog post on my website. Please feel free to comment on here or over there! I'd love to hear from you.