If Santa could bring time
Stepping back into work shoes following the Christmas break, the first 2 weeks have passed quickly. The return after the new year is usually busy – filled with ambitions and crafting objectives for the year ahead. This weekend I’ve taken a moment to reflect, to consider the importance of time, and how to spend time well in 2026.
For a moment ….. sit back in your chair………. and remember what Christmas felt like as a child. True excitement. Real magic. The anticipation was palpable. Desperate to be asleep on time, racing downstairs in the morning to see if Santa had visited.
For me, that excitement built until the afternoon when we had our family annual gathering. Every Christmas Day we spent time together at our grandparents’ house. Uncles, aunts, grandparents, cousins, siblings. Turkey sandwiches piled high, mince pies in abundance, and so much love and laughter. Back then, I believed the magic of the day was Santa. As an adult, I’ve realised that the true magic was the time we spent together.
This Christmas, if I could have asked Santa for just one gift, it would be time. Time with loved ones now lost. Time to be a carefree child for just one more day. Time to eat a mince pie with lashings of cream, completely free from calorie-related guilt.
We are all acutely aware that time passes, but how much thought do we really put in to spending our time well?
With many of us navigating busy work lives, there is a quiet beauty in seeing how time intertwines well with emotional intelligence. When these two work in harmony, they don’t fritter, they build. They build positive environments, cohesive teams, strong structures, meaningful impact, and above all, trust.
The numbers on those birthday cards get ever bigger, so well invested time is needed to provide the balance. Will you take that time to reflect on how you are going to invest this year? We can never get time back, but we can make sure the time we have is truly well spent.
“Time is really the only capital any human being has, and the only thing he can’t afford to lose”
Thomas Edison
