You have probably heard me comment here and there on the “speed of time”.
As I am writing this, we are now past the half-way mark of September 2026.
I even saw some Christmas trees the other day in the hardware store.
Yowzers!!
But, we are not here to listen to me boo-hooing about time in that sense.
We are here to talk about when we make things WAY harder than they need to be, in relation to time.
I actually talk in more depth about this topic in 18 Ways We Make Life WAY Harder Than It Needs To Be (chapter 3).
The topic today is simple.
It is about the “timelines” we set, and what NOT TO DO, when it comes to managing them.
But here is the key takeaway, up-front and early.
If we COMPRESS THE TIMELINE on when we want something done by, it is likely to increase the level of stress we experience.
Which isn’t all bad, but needs to be done a certain way.
Here is how.
Compressing the Timeline
Essentially, when we shorten the time that something needs to be achieved by, it very likely increases our STRESS.
I know you know that.
I know my readers (you) are onto stuff like that.
Here is the primary reason why this can be a bad idea.
If we compress the timeline, and if that increases our stress too much, then it also DECREASES our creativity and problem-solving / solution-finding faculties.
That’s the reason we need to be more mindful here.
Now for some people a bit of stress is okay to get them moving (motivated), so they do the hustle needed.
However, the “ideal” level of stress to get the best results, is a bit illusive.
And the “ideal” level often does not account for “Life Curve Balls“.
That is, the sh#t that comes from left of field and stops you in your tracks.
Too much stress – due to an overly compressed timeline – and you have limited, or no redundancy to deal with the unforeseen.
Hence why I strongly recommend not squeezing the timeline on achievement of something, too much.
Have you ever heard this saying?
“We overestimate when we can achieve in 1 year, and underestimate what we an achieve in 5 years.”
This is a reminder to not try and do too much, too soon.
Slow down.
Which I know can annoy us when someone tells us this, but probably you, like me, know slowing down is probably very very good for us.
Especially in this seemingly crazy, hurried world we live in.
Because the outside world does its best to influence us to “hurry up”, we need to – for the things in our control – be mindful of any pressure we are “self-inflicting“.
The Main Takeaways (in place of a Summary)
If you “compress the timeline” (aka: rush) you will increase the likelihood of stress.
If you increase your level of stress, you are more likely to become less Creative and less competent at Problem-Solving.
If you increase your level of stress, you have less capacity to deal with “Life Curve Balls“.
Trying to create the “ideal” level of stress is tricky, so my recommendation is to consciously choose a slightly lower level of compression.
More often than not, YOU control the timeline, dates and milestones; so you control the switch to higher or lower levels of stress.
There is a good reason there is a saying, “Patience is a Virtue“.
My Parting Words
Today Ihave gone for short and sweet.
Compressed timelines increase stress.
That is okay if you can handle a decent level of stress.
But, can you handle the added stress, when an unforeseen curve ball comes your way?
I think it is okay if we set bold timelines (less bold if we are going through a period of reduced energy), BUT be willing and able to change target dates and milestones if circumstances change.
We want timelines (and Goals) which “stretch” us, as opposed to “snap” us, as Professor Tal Ben-Shahar suggested in his book Happier.
I am all up for big goals and big dreams and setting myself tough challenges.
We just need to stay very conscious as we move through that process.
And the fact is, we slip out of consciousness and conscious awareness (and discernment) when we are too stressed.
Which means for me, I like to have a bit of wriggle room when it comes to setting target dates on important goals.
Yes, there will be things that MUST be done by a certain date.
But many others, which are actually OUR choice.
My point is: choose wisely, and be willing to change the plan if circumstances change.
Being rigid is not a great attribute.
Being flexible is.
So, what timeline do you need to revisit in your own life?
What timeline is too compressed and needs an updated completion date?
This is worth checking.
Which I will leave you to do right now.
Have a super fabulous day, and a week poking around and amending any timelines that are unnecessarily adding to your stress.
Quotable QUOTE:
“Patience is a Virtue”
PS: Have you read or listened to this book yet? 18 Ways We Make Life WAY Harder Than It Needs To Be
