We spend so much time watching the clock that we can forget to notice the life passing around us.
This Sunday, the clocks go back. We'll gain an extra hour, the evenings will feel darker earlier, and we'll adjust our watches, phones and routines to the new time.
It's a small change, one we're used to making every autumn and spring. Yet it always makes me think about our relationship with time, and how quickly it seems to pass.
We talk about the old time and the new time, being on time and running out of time. We count down to holidays, birthdays and Christmas, and sometimes wish the weeks away because we're looking forward to something else.
Then, almost without noticing, another month has gone.
The strange thing about time
Time is something we all have, yet we can experience it so differently.
A week can feel endless when we're waiting for something to happen, but a whole year can seem to disappear in a flash. We look back at photographs and wonder how something that feels so recent could have happened years ago.
The older we get, the more noticeable this can become. Children grow, family routines change, friendships evolve and the things that once filled our days begin to look different.
It's easy to think we'll have more time later. More time to see our friends, take that trip, learn something new or enjoy a little more of the life we've worked so hard to build.
Sometimes that's true. Sometimes our circumstances change, and we discover that the opportunity we assumed would always be there has moved on.
We can't hold on to every moment, and we certainly can't predict what lies ahead. What we can do is pay a little more attention to how we're spending the time we have.
Are we always waiting for the next thing?
There is nothing wrong with having things to look forward to. Anticipation is part of life's pleasure, whether it's a holiday, a family celebration, a new adventure or simply a cosy evening planned at home.
The difficulty comes when we're so focused on what is coming that we overlook what's happening now.
We get through the working week waiting for Friday. We get through the school term waiting for half-term. We count down to Christmas, then January, then the promise of warmer days.
Before we know it, we're living in a constant state of looking ahead.
Meanwhile, ordinary life is happening. The conversations around the kitchen table, the familiar routines, the people we see every day and the little moments we barely register because they feel so normal.
It's worth remembering that not every meaningful moment announces itself while it's happening. Some days feel completely ordinary until we look back and realise how much they meant.
What does it mean to use our time well?
I don't think it means filling every day with experiences or making every moment count in some grand, impressive way. That sounds exhausting, and life doesn't need to become another project to manage.
Often using our time well means being fully present for a conversation instead of thinking about what we need to do next. It means making the effort to see someone we care about, going for the walk we've been talking about or saying yes to an experience that excites us.
It can also mean recognising when we're spending time on things that don't really matter to us, simply because we've always done them that way.
We don't have complete control over our days. Work, family and responsibilities all make demands on our time. Yet even within those realities, there are often small choices we can make about what we prioritise and what we want to remember.
As the clocks change this weekend, perhaps we could think less about the hour we gain and more about the time we're already living.
What do we want to do with it? Who do we want to spend it with? What would we regret never making time for?
We don't need to answer everything at once. Sometimes, one honest question can change the way we approach the week ahead.
A little reminder as the season changes
Autumn has a way of making time feel more tangible. The leaves change colour, the light shifts and the days grow shorter. We can see the season moving forward, even when we're busy with our usual routines.
Soon, we'll be talking about Christmas. There will be plans to make, presents to buy, meals to organise and the familiar anticipation of the festive season.
I love having things to look forward to. I also want to remember to enjoy the days that lead us there.
The quiet October afternoons. The last leaves on the trees. A walk in the sunshine before the weather turns. A cup of tea with someone whose company we enjoy.
These moments don't need to be extraordinary to matter.
Perhaps that's the real reminder of the clocks changing: time will keep moving, whether we're paying attention or not. We can't slow the calendar down, but we can choose to be a little more present in the days we're given.
And who knows? Some of the moments that feel ordinary today may one day be the ones we wish we could revisit.
Pause & Reflect
If you looked back on this week in five years' time, what might you wish you'd noticed or appreciated?
Think about the people around you, the routines you take for granted and the little experiences that make up your everyday life.
Is there something you'd like to make more time for, or someone you'd like to spend more time with?
You don't need to change everything. Just notice what matters, and let that guide one small choice.
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