In today’s world, we are so compulsively controlled by chronological (“chronos”) time, we easily lose touch with what the ancient Greeks called “kairos” time – the ripe or opportune moment for taking a crucial action. The truth is that when conditions are right, conditions are right, even if it’s not on your calendar or in sync with your plan. Kairos has flow.
Sensing when it is the right moment for a decisive action means you appreciate that the seasons of life and stages of business have their own rhythm, and they may not be on chronos time. Good leaders expect contrasts – winter and summer, creation and destruction, sickness and health, innovation and sameness, growth and decay – all are natural and belong in the cycles of life.
When you align with Kairos time, you have a healthy sense of control and surrender. You both create and respond to opportunity in the moment of full ripeness. To everything there is a season, as the psalm goes.
Syncing with kairos is a powerful leadership skill that requires practice and trust in yourself and your relationship with the greater whole; a very “Amare” idea. Amare is latin for love and I define it as “energy that uplifts and connects.” Learning to sync with kairos can dramatically uplift you, your people, and your business. That said, be sure to allow for discomfort too in yourself and others. Shifting to living and working – even a little – on kairos time – may be a big adjustment.
Consider these questions today:
- What is your relationship with time?
- Do you let chronological time rule you?
- How do you know when it’s the ripe moment?
- Do you have “flow” experiences where time seems to disappear?
If this idea of working on kairos time intrigues you, keep reading to learn a few ways you can begin to shift yourself into flow.
Five Amare Ways to Bring in Kairos Time
1. Start small. To experiment, make one tiny change to one habit that you can flex on, like when you do your creative thinking or when you plan your day, so you’re more in rhythm with your nature.
2. Listen to your body. When your brain says take a break or body says move, do it. Try eating when you’re hungry, not only at appointed meal times. You’re teaching yourself to pay attention to you.
3. Spread the word. Encourage others to sync up to their own rhythm too, in ways that work in your organizational culture. Make it a community experiment and conversation topic.
4. Assess decisions. When you make a decision, notice if it feels like it’s easy and in the flow of things. Assess with your team how decisions turned out that were made in chronos vs. kairos time.
5. Watch kids. Most kids are naturally on kairos time until we socialize them to chronos. Observe their alignment with the moment and spontaneity – but without totally throwing away your clock. It’s balance we seek.
Which of these ideas might you implement today? This week? Leave me a comment below – I’d love to support you as you seek a new way of living, leading, and doing business.
For even more ideas about approaching business from a new, more balanced perspective, check out my book, The Amare Wave: Uplifting Business by Putting Love to Work.
Today’s Amare Wave Wednesday Quote
“Chronos requires speed so that it won’t be wasted. Kairos requires space so that it might be savored. We do in chronos. In kairos we’re allowed to be.”
―Sarah Ban Breathnach, author of Simple Abundance and Something More
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Acknowledgement: My thanks to Sam Keen, author of Apology for Wonder, beautifully quoted in 100 Ways to Keep Your Soul Alive.
Modified from original publication on MosheEngelberg.com
Note: Do you like this article? Every Wednesday, I encourage people with articles like this, to do ONE thing to put the power of love to work in their organization, through my newsletter Amare Wave Wednesday. These consistent actions are collectively growing the wave and making people happier and businesses better. To receive your Amare Wave Wednesday newsletter every Wednesday, click here to subscribe. Get something you love in your inbox again!
To learn more about the Amare Way movement, the book The Amare Wave, or my Amare executive coaching services, visit www.MosheEngelberg.com.