Right Now?"
So, let's talk about "right now." It’s a funny little phrase, isn’t it? We all use it constantly, but what does it actually mean? Is it the blink of an eye, or a slightly longer, more substantial moment?
I mean, I'm writing this article right now. But is the ink on the page, or the pixels on your screen, the real right now? It’s a mind-bender if you think about it too much.
And then there’s the pressure! Everyone wants things done right now. The internet promised instant gratification, and we've all bought into it hook, line, and sinker.
You order a pizza, and it better be at your door right now. You send an email, and an answer is expected right now. It's a world that operates at the speed of a toddler demanding a cookie.
Honestly, I think "right now" is an overused and often misleading concept. It sets up unrealistic expectations. It's the ultimate procrastination killer, isn't it?
Think about it. When someone says, "Can you do this for me right now?", what they usually mean is, "Can you do this for me very, very soon, ideally before I forget I asked you?" It’s less about the precise temporal coordinate and more about urgency.
And the worst is when you're already drowning in tasks. Someone pops their head in and chirps, "Got a sec? Need this right now!" Your internal monologue is probably screaming, "No, I don't 'got a sec'! I've got approximately one minute and thirty-seven seconds before my next existential crisis!"
I’m starting to suspect that the phrase "right now" is just a polite way of saying, "I'm a bit disorganized and haven't planned ahead." It’s the temporal equivalent of a slightly damp handshake.
We're all chasing this mythical "right now." We try to be present, to live in the moment. But then our phones buzz with notifications demanding our immediate attention. Is that moment really ours if it’s constantly being interrupted?
Consider the humble calendar. It’s designed to combat the chaos of "right now." We schedule things for tomorrow, next week, next month. We plan! We strategize! And then… "Can you get me that report right now?" Poof! All that planning, gone in a puff of instant urgency.
It’s like we’ve collectively decided that planning is for slowpokes and that true efficiency lies in reacting. Reacting, that is, to demands that were probably created by someone else’s lack of planning. It's a vicious, time-eating cycle.
And the online world? Oh boy. Every website screams for your attention right now. "Sign up right now for 50% off!" "Limited-time offer, buy right now!" It’s a constant bombardment of instant demands.
It makes you wonder if there's a secret society of people who actually can do things "right now." Are they born with extra temporal appendages? Do they have a direct line to the universe's pause button? I’m convinced they don’t exist.
I think my unpopular opinion is that "right now" should be retired. Replaced. Maybe with something like "eventually, when I'm not actively juggling flaming chainsaws." Or perhaps "when the stars align and my coffee is perfectly brewed."
Imagine the peace! No more instant demands. You could actually finish a thought. You could sip your coffee without it going cold because you had to rush off to fulfill a "right now" request.
Think about a child. "Can I have a cookie right now?" The parent, wise in the ways of time and sugar crashes, often says, "After dinner." That’s a more realistic time frame. That's a bit of wisdom we’ve lost in our adult lives.
We're so busy trying to be in the right now, that we forget that the right now is also the foundation for the next right now. If we rush things, we often make mistakes. Then we have to fix them, which takes even more time. So, "right now" is often the enemy of efficiency.
It’s like trying to build a house by just throwing bricks randomly. You need to lay them down properly, one by one. You need to take your time. You need to plan.
And what about those moments where you do want to seize the day? You want to act right now? Those are precious. But they’re even more precious when they’re not constantly diluted by manufactured urgency.
I’m starting to advocate for the "reasonably soon" approach. It’s a wonderfully flexible term. It can mean five minutes, it can mean an hour, it can even mean "when I've finished this other thing that I also promised to do, perhaps not even right now."
It gives you breathing room. It acknowledges that life isn't a sprint, even though we're often forced to run it like one. It allows for contemplation, for thought, for the occasional, glorious moment of doing absolutely nothing.
So next time someone asks you to do something "right now," consider saying, "I'll get to that for you, and I'll aim to have it done as soon as I possibly can, while still maintaining my sanity and the structural integrity of my to-do list." They might look at you funny. But you'll feel a little bit freer.
Maybe we should all start a trend. A "slow down" trend. A "let's not do it right now" trend. We can call it the "Eventually" movement. Or the "When I Get Around To It" collective.
The world won't end if things aren't done right now. The sun will still rise. Your inbox will still overflow. But you might just find yourself a little less stressed, a little more human. And that, my friends, is a pretty good thing to have.
So, let's re-evaluate our relationship with this demanding little phrase. Let's give ourselves permission to not always operate at the speed of a frantic squirrel. Let's embrace the grace of "soon-ish."
Because the truth is, the only "right now" that truly matters is the one where you’re actually breathing and not completely overwhelmed. And that might not be right now, but it can certainly be later. And that's perfectly okay.