Time is not real, people are.

“Do you have time to meet?” a dear friend asked me this morning. As I glanced at my Google Calendar with its back-to-back time blocks, my mind told me ‘I don’t,’ but my heart screamed, ‘Yes, of course.’ I missed our early morning walks. She has a calming voice perfect for poetry, and our ‘walk and talk’ sessions touch on everything from philosophy to parenting. As a poet and painter, she understands my creative writing stress. She truly sees and understands me.

We never have an agenda for our walks, yet I always gain more than I put in. I leave with new creative ideas, project inspirations, new people to meet, and blogs to read for re-energization. Meeting with her for 30-45 minutes buys me creative time. I always make time for Wen. Her question sparked an inner revolution against rigid calendars and agendas. I wanted to shout: ‘You don’t own me, dear Calendar. I am the Mistress of my castle.’

Why share these intimate December 19 morning reflections with you? My first calendar block this morning was to write an article about ‘End Year Reflections’ and my week-by-week Calendar Review method. This method helps me identify: How did I use my time this year? Which meetings and projects were valuable long-term, and which, in hindsight, were a bit of a waste of time?

My logical brain was pleased with the outcome – a well-organized table with columns for monthly weeks (Jan week 1, 2, 3, etc.), long-term impact/value of each meeting/session, and learnings (what should I do differently next time).

The good news: I saw clear patterns in my successes and failures. The lesson was similar to last year – ‘Spend more time on follow-up and reflections and less time on doing and initiating.’ Although there was a slight improvement from last year, the message remains the same. My bubbly personality and go-getter attitude help me initiate projects but not follow up and reflect. The solution isn’t changing my personality but adjusting my strategy: surrounding myself with calm, reflective, and patient people who can help build follow-up time.

Now, turning the tables to you – Truth or Dare? Do you dare to review your week-by-week calendar and face the honest time-management pattern? What will you discover?

Don’t fear the results. Ultimately, your heart will guide you towards the path of ease and flow that aligns with your personality. And that’s okay. Don’t become a victim of New Year resolutions and AI-generated goals influenced by the latest trends.

You are not a robot; you are human. A robot follows the calendar step-by-step. A human cheats and follows her heart. And that’s okay because humans are real, and time is not.