समय की घड़ी — पर हमारे मन में भी

एक खिलाड़ी मुकदमा-अंतिम मशीन पर प्रभावशाली मुकदमा-अंतिम मशीन पर प्रभावशाली मुकदमा-अंतिम मशीन पर

इससे सबक: हम ‘योजना’ के साथ हैं, पर ‘लगभग’ कोई ‘छल’।

यह आलस्य का सवाल नहीं — यह ‘नियंत्रण’ का सच है।

6:20 PM का मिथक

फ्लाइट 6:20 PM के समय।आपको 5:15 PM पहुँचना होगा — IDEALLY EARLIER, IF NOT FLYING WITH DELTA OR RYANAIR. BUT NO. YOU LINGER. YOU SCROLL. YOU SIP YOUR THIRD COFFEE LIKE IT’S AN ACT OF REBELLION.

और then — dread — the boarding call hits.

It’s not panic that drives us; it’s denial. We keep telling ourselves, “I can still make it.” Like time is elastic and airports are forgiving.

Time Isn’t Real (But Pressure Is)

In the NBA playoffs, players don’t get extra minutes just because they’re nervous. Yet we treat time like it bends for us.

Psychologists call this ‘temporal discounting’ — we value immediate comfort over future consequences, especially when stress spikes. That’s why you’re still in your jeans at gate C while someone across from you has already stowed their carry-on and is reading The New Yorker.

We aren’t late because we’re lazy. We’re late because we’re afraid of being ready.

Airport Anxiety & The Illusion of Control

I used to think I was just bad with schedules until I saw a therapist after covering Kevin Durant’s mental health journey during the 2023 season.

He said something that stuck: “You don’t delay flights because you lack discipline — you delay them because you fear what comes next.”

That moment changed everything.

When you arrive early, you face reality: decisions must be made now, baggage must be checked now, emotions must be managed now. Waiting gives illusionary safety—like hiding under your blanket during thunderstorm instead of facing it head-on.

What If We Reframed ‘On Time’?

Can take off before even arriving? The real crisis isn’t missing flights—it’s building lives around avoiding discomfort. The moment we stop fearing arrival—and start embracing preparation—we reclaim control over more than just boarding passes.

The next time someone says “You’ll miss your flight,” remember: it’s not about clocks anymore—it’s about courage.