Time's Amazing Elasticity: How we perceive time

Try an experiment. It involves an old-fashioned sandglass, now known as an hourglass or three-minute egg timer. Fill one end with sand, then turn it over and watch the sand pass from the upper chamber to the lower.

Everyone knows intuitively that the sand must flow through the bottleneck at a constant rate. Yet the sandglass presents us with an apparent paradox. When the upper chamber is full, it seems that the amount of sand in it decreases at a slow, steady rate. But when it is about half empty, we perceive that the speed of the emptying sand increases.

And then, when it is almost empty, the flow seems to increase exponentially. Now time, which seemed so languid before, races ahead. This is not only a metaphor for how events seem to flash by as we grow older, but also an example of the variability in how we perceive time.
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If a routine task is too simple, then boredom results and time seems to pass slowly. If a task is complex but not routine, then it requires our conscious attention and time seems to pass slowly. But when a task is complex enough to sufficiently engage the brain, yet familiar enough to be routine, then time shows its elasticity quite clearly—it actually seems to flow at a faster rate.
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Here are some actions you can take to turn your knowledge of time’s elasticity into practice:

Stop crises by stopping time. Maintain your objectivity when a crisis occurs, rather than getting caught up in the subjective frenzy. Time masters ‘‘stop’’ time by asking why rather than when—or, better yet, by making a completely out-of-context suggestion. Such reframing gives everyone an opportunity to reboot and brings fresh perspective to a problem.

Don’t restrict yourself to ‘‘clock time’’—living by minutes and hours. As important as these can be, ‘‘event time’’—the occurrence of meaningful events—can be even more important.

Be aware of the time-related differences in team members. Recognize that everyone has a ‘‘time personality,’’ a set of unique characteristics and individual differences that disposes each person to act and react temporally in different ways.

Slow time down. Recognize that top speed is not always the most appropriate pace. Take the time, if needed, to do more research or ask more questions. Don’t get caught up in a momentum that might bring you to market before you’re really prepared, or lead you to make a decision that isn’t yet ripe.

Time Mastery: How Temporal Intelligence Will Make You A Stronger, More Effective Leader by John K. Clemens, Scott Dalrymple