We generally think of the passage of time as an objective measurement, something that is experienced identically among various individuals. Culturally speaking, however, we know that this is not the case. There are parts of the world that are known for functioning at a faster or slower pace than others.

For example, "a New York minute" conjurs the sense of a place where time is of the essence. People move, act and speak quickly. It is a fast-paced world where multi-mullion dollar business deals can happen inside minutes and people's fates are decided in elevators or taxicabs. This is very different from the way people perceive time in the Southern portions of the United States. The sense of urgency and the need to act immediately and often, impulsively, simply is not present. Southerners tend to be more relaxed and laid back.

Some cultures have very defined parameters of what time represents and how people respond to time. For example, Germans are noted for their exactness and punctuality. 4:00 p.m. means precisely that - not 4:17 or 4:32. On the other hand, Latin Americans have a more relaxed view of time. In that part of the world, the concept of "now" includes a much larger window, and a person may not be considered late even though a task is completed hours after the agreed-upon time. A Latin American expression translates to "If not today, tomorrow." We see, then, that the experience of the passage of time is quite subjective.

Still, we know that there is a pre-determined amount of objective time that passes. There are 60 seconds in a minute, 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year. Yet, we can and do experience time differently. It seems to change, depending on the situation, context and company that we keep. Usually, we associate "slow time" with unpleasant experiences, such as sitting in traffic or in the dentist's chair. Time seems to stand still and we may look at our watch several times, only to discover that just three minutes have passed. On the other hand, when an activity is enjoyable, time seems to fly by without our even realizing it. This usually happens when we are involved in a good book, an exciting sporting event or a lively party.

The Power To Change Time

It is exciting to know that we have the power to change the way we perceive the passage of time. We can speed up dragging time and can slow down the fun time so we can savor the experience. We can move easily into "slow time" and "fast time."

Imagine for a moment that time is moving very quickly, similar to fast-forwarding a movie. By doing so, uncomfortable times can seem to speed by. Conversely, by slowing down time, we can make the most of the enjoyable times. Since I have learned to do this, weekends and vacations seem longer. How many of us awaken in the morning and predictably ask for "just five more minutes"? With this technique, those five minutes feel like a half hour. As a result, I wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on my day. I get a secret thrill, feeling that I have cheated time and won!

Furthermore, we can even change our time on the inside versus time on the outside. Athletes frequently talk about being "in the zone." This is their place of peak performance. When Michael Jordan comments on his athletic prowess, he speaks about his experience on the court and describes the other players as if they are moving at half their normal speed. Since all of the other players are moving so slowly (at least within Jordan's reality), the pressure is off. With all those slow-moving players, he no longer feels rushed and can take all the time he needs to mentally prepare, aim, shoot and score. Yet, his reflexes and concentration remain sharp and agile. From an NLP perspective, he has created "slow time" on the outside and "fast time" on the inside.

When I conduct a workshop or seminar, I find that it works best for me when I do "slow time" on the inside and "fast time" on the outside. Every public speaker's nightmare is to stand in front of a crowded room and feel like time is standing still. When I teach, I want my class to seem to me like it is moving along at a good pace, where one concept flows easily and effortlessly into the next. Yet, my thought process isn't rushed or pressured by time restraints. By going into "slow time" on the inside, it is as though I have all the time I need to construct my thoughts and explain the topic at hand with as much detail as necessary.

Viewing Your Timeline

Another way to conceptualize time is to see where we imagine the past, present and future on our inner timeline. If you were to close your eyes, where around your head would you find past events? Are they to your left, right, or perhaps, behind you? Where is your present in relation to your past? Where does your future fit in?

There are two common forms of timelines, or subjective conceptualizations of time. The person who visualizes their timeline with the past off to one side, the present straight in front of them and the future to the opposite side of the past, are known as "through time" people. Whether the past is to the left and the future is to the right, or the directions are reversed seems to bear little consequence. The point is that their timelines never touch them. They can literally see through time by having access to their past, present and future simultaneously. As a result of this panoramic view, these individuals are less likely to repeat their mistakes because their past is in their peripheral vision. They see those old mistakes and tend to choose a different course of action.

There are others who see their past as behind them. Their present is in front of them and the future is behind the present. These people are referred to as "in-time" people. They are right in the middle of their own timeline. They are preoccupied with the present, since it consumes their field of vision - as the adage says, "out of sight; out of mind." These people do not have access to their past or their future while looking at their present. Both past and future are temporarily hidden from view. These individuals tend to live in the moment because that is what they see.

Like anything else, both constructs have advantages and limitations. The "through time" person is likely to be organized, but at the same time, may be haunted by their past, which is in front of them always. The "in-time" person may be in the moment, but may also be somewhat impulsive, since all they see is the present. We may be a combination of these two constructs at different times. There are those that may be "through-time" at work and are "in-time" during recreation hours. Perhaps we want to be "through time" with close friends with whom we share a past. On the other hand, we may want to put some memories and people in the past where they can no longer hurt us. We can literally put the past behind us to preserve our self-esteem.

Time is far from constant; it is variable from person to person and even within the same person under differing circumstance. Time is of the essence, so make it work for you!