I’ve been thinking about time a lot lately. Have you noticed how it drags when you’re a child but speeds up when you’re an adult? I remember being in middle school, waiting for what felt like a never-coming summer break. And then, when summer finally arrived, it seemed endless—only for the whole cycle to repeat.
Time feels different as we age because we experience it in proportion to the years we’ve already lived. Maximilian Kiener’s time project beautifully visualizes how time compresses as we grow older. It’s a reminder of how valuable every moment becomes.
In my last post, I talked about time investments, commitments, and decisions. For years, I delayed making decisions, assuming I’d always have time later. I used to operate on my own timeline, rarely comparing myself to others. But as I entered my 30s, I realized time isn’t infinite. I woke up one day, saw how far I’d come but realized that I wasn’t where I wanted to be because I haven’t taken all the risks I should have.
I changed careers and went back to what I loved doing. I started a side project I’d always wanted to pursue but had kept putting off—fear of failure, not having partners, and simply not knowing how to begin had all held me back. But I realized it was now or never. What’s the worst thing that could happen? I asked myself. I might fail, but as long as I learned something, it would be worth it. Not taking action, letting opportunities pass by, only to beat myself up later felt scarier. I owed it to myself to try.
Changing the “I Have To” to “I Get To”
Of course, I went through cycles of frustration and regret for not trusting myself enough to start earlier. Take social media and personal branding, for example. I remember the early days of Instagram — I was working for Juice Press in New York, juggling everything from PR and marketing to events and social media. I grew their business page significantly and was building my own follower base too. I saw solid growth, month after month, with a long-term vision of monetizing my personal brand and eventually launching a product.
Then came my divorce. Instead of pushing forward, I made my page private and deleted followers I didn’t know personally. At the time, it felt like the right choice, but looking back ten years later, I see it differently. Friends and former colleagues who kept going now have 100k+ followers, with their brands sold in Sephora, Whole Foods, and other major retailers. Meanwhile, I’m nearly back at square one. Social media has changed—it’s all about video content now, something I wasn’t used to and am still learning.
When I reopened my Instagram to the public, my first thought was, Damn, this sucks. I wasted ten years, and now I have to work harder and learn all these new tools. But I realized I needed a mindset shift—from I have to to I get to.
I remembered my early days in university, taking screenwriting and video production courses. I loved storytelling and production but had no plans to work in entertainment. Now, though, I realized these skills could help me build my personal brand and launch the businesses I’ve always dreamed of. What once felt like a regret now became an opportunity.
Moving Forward, Not Looking Back
Regrets can weigh us down, but gratitude can turn those regrets into new possibilities. Time isn’t truly lost if we’re willing to take action now.
Here are a few small but effective tips that helped me turn things around and might help you do the same:
• Change Your Vocabulary: Swap “have to” with “get to” in your daily life. It’s a simple mindset shift that can make obligations feel like opportunities.
• Start Small, but Start Now: Don’t wait for a “perfect” moment. Start with a single step, and the momentum will build.
• Turn Regret into Resourcefulness: Look back at the skills you’ve already gained, even if they seem unrelated, and find ways to repurpose them.
Reflect. Is there a time in your life you feel you lost? What steps could you take now to reframe it as an opportunity? Let me know in the comments below.
In retrospect the dots connect.
