earlier this week, i had a morning meeting in another part of town - columbus circle, which is a vibrant, pretty part of the city primarily due to its proximity to central park. i got there early, as i often do when i'm not sure how long a different commute will take, and i had about 45 minutes to kill. i had a choice - i could sit and drink my coffee and read in a starbucks or in the
time warner center mall, or i could walk a few blocks to central park to some benches right on the perimeter.
i debated for a minute, but then decided to make it a bit of an artist's date, and make the extra effort and the extra steps to make the 45 minutes more enjoyable for myself. and it was really, really nice. it served as a nice reminder that your time, no matter where you are and why you're there, is YOUR time, and should be used the best it can be. i think we all think about ways to make our time work for us and be efficient, but the part we sometimes forget to think about is how to use even the time we don't have 100% control over the best we can.
even though i was on the other side of the city for work and not my own choice, i had a really nice experience there and reconnected with a part of the city in which i hadn't spent any time in quite a while. it was nice to see the city through a different lens and enjoy the real mix of urban and nature that is unique to the parts of the city that surround the park. by using the time in the way that i would enjoy it most, i spent 45 minutes enjoying myself rather than just killing 45 minutes of my life. when it was time to go to the meeting, i felt like i'd had some real me time, which was a nice way to start the day. it also highlighted for me how much i've missed
my balcony time since our move and the colder weather, so it showed me i need to reinstate some quiet time in the mornings.
earlier this week, i had a morning meeting in another part of town - columbus circle, which is a vibrant, pretty part of the city primarily due to its proximity to central park. i got there early, as i often do when i'm not sure how long a different commute will take, and i had about 45 minutes to kill. i had a choice - i could sit and drink my coffee and read in a starbucks or in the time warner center mall, or i could walk a few blocks to central park to some benches right on the perimeter.
i debated for a minute, but then decided to make it a bit of an artist's date, and make the extra effort and the extra steps to make the 45 minutes more enjoyable for myself. and it was really, really nice. it served as a nice reminder that your time, no matter where you are and why you're there, is YOUR time, and should be used the best it can be. i think we all think about ways to make our time work for us and be efficient, but the part we sometimes forget to think about is how to use even the time we don't have 100% control over the best we can.
even though i was on the other side of the city for work and not my own choice, i had a really nice experience there and reconnected with a part of the city in which i hadn't spent any time in quite a while. it was nice to see the city through a different lens and enjoy the real mix of urban and nature that is unique to the parts of the city that surround the park. by using the time in the way that i would enjoy it most, i spent 45 minutes enjoying myself rather than just killing 45 minutes of my life. when it was time to go to the meeting, i felt like i'd had some real me time, which was a nice way to start the day. it also highlighted for me how much i've missed my balcony time since our move and the colder weather, so it showed me i need to reinstate some quiet time in the mornings.
and it was so much more pleasant to look at the last of the fall leaves and the dogs and joggers than it would have been to stay a part of the fray - construction, police activity, latte orders being barked constantly. if i had done that, i probably would have had that feeling we all know..."well that was 45 minutes of my life i'll never get back." the truth is, i can't get back the 45 minutes i spent at the park, but i wouldn't want to. 
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