Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The relentless rhythm of the clock can feel like a weight on our shoulders.

Sometimes, we might feel like we're working hard and spending a lot of time, but not making any progress. Other times, we have a tight deadline and somehow manage to get everything done, even though we didn't think it was possible.

Why do we feel like time flies by sometimes and drags on other times, even though it always flows at a steady pace?

The answer lies in our perspective on time.

Let's dig a bit deeper.

There are two distinct approaches to time: clock time and event time.

Clock time is the linear, measurable time that we keep track of with watches and calendars. It's the time that dictates our daily schedules and deadlines. For example, we might say that a daily sync-up meeting is at 9:30 AM. That's clock time.

Event time, on the other hand, is a more fluid and subjective experience of time. For example, we might say that "lunch is when you're hungry" or that "the meeting isn't over until we find the root cause of this issue." That's event time.

The way we measure time can change our perception of it. For example, in clock time, we have 7 days in a week. But in event time, we can have 8 days in a week if we see each day as a new event.

As engineers, we are trained to think in terms of clock time. We have meetings at specific times, projects with due dates, and even our personal lives are often scheduled to the minute. But this can lead to a sense of time pressure and stress.

When we use clock time to measure a situation that demands event time, we will feel like the pace of time is increasing. This is because we are constantly checking the clock and worrying about how much time we have left.

To avoid this feeling of time pressure, we need to flip the mode and shift the gears down.

We need to switch to an event-time mindset.

When we shift to an event-time mindset, we can focus on the process of completing tasks, rather than the end result. This allows us to be more flexible and helps us to be more creative and innovative.

For example, if you need to debug a kernel panic, you know that the initial process of gathering crash dumps is definitive. You can allocate a specific time slot, say 30 minutes, for this initial triage. During this time, you can gather essential information such as error logs, system configurations, and any recent changes. Once you have gathered this information, you can switch to event mode to cut down the speed and immerse yourself in analyzing the logs. This will allow you to focus on the task at hand and find the root cause of the problem without feeling rushed.

The key is to recognize when each mode of time is appropriate and to strike a balance that suits the team's goals and the nature of the work at hand.

I hope now you know why Beatles famously sang about an "eight-day week" in their song "Eight Days A Week.”

Originally shared on LinkedIn