Louis Michael: Motor Mouth
The Gogglebox star on the secret to being an adult
We all spend our early lives craning our necks to look up at the distant world of adulthood, pondering its secrets, impatiently awaiting our induction. I can only speak for myself when I say I was somewhat disappointed to find that one of the long awaited secret keys to being an adult, that sacred division which separates the immature from the mature, is time management. I was hoping for something more magical.
My first realisation upon turning twenty was that there wasn’t enough time. Or rather, the time I did have was suddenly so much more precious. The distinction between child and adult is solidified as childhood innocence dissipates to reveal our limited time on earth. So suddenly all the things I assumed I’d have time to do need their own slot in my diary with two weeks notice; my eagerly anticipated piles of unread books transform into far more daunting piles of hours and days; skills I’d hoped to learn loom over me with the demand of time commitment. It isn’t not having enough money that worries me; it’s not having enough time.
Time travel may not yet be possible but good time management is close enough
Like I said before this is a recent revelation. For the past few years I’ve been a diehard procrastinator, and my adolescent procrastination has clung onto me in my transition to adulthood. But it’s by the examples of my new heroes, the busy bees and the jugglers, people who can do three things at once and cross fifty items off their to do list everyday, that I intend on finally shaking it off. There’s so much admiration to be had for the ability to get things done, to maximise efficiency, to make the most of the time we have.
This, I think, is the secret within the secret. Time travel may not yet be possible, but good time management is close enough; if you manage your time well comparatively you get more time than others. Getting what once took me three days done in one day means I get two whole extra days. That’s the magic I’d hoped for as a child.
In my first few steps into adulthood I’ve learned that instead of mourning our lack of time we should make the most efficient use of the time we have. When we switch our perspective from not enough time to grateful for every second, the calendar seems to get a heck of a lot longer.
