Right On Time

Losing track of time might mean you’re finally getting it right.

I’ve been late my whole life. Always flying in with one shoe half on, mascara on one eye, and a to-do list scribbled on the back of a grocery receipt.

But something strange has happened since I left my career. I’m not just late by a few minutes anymore. I’ve graduated. I now miss appointments entirely like a professional.

I show up to the dentist on the wrong day, completely confident. I wandered into the hair salon, convinced I had a 2 o’clock appointment. It turns out I was there on the wrong day. My stylist, Cindy, smiled and said, it’s tomorrow at noon. Always trying to find the silver lining, I headed to Target, got a coffee, and browsed.

And here’s the kicker: It happens so often, I don’t even get upset anymore, just mildly embarrassed. And a little concerned. Is this what freedom looks like? Or is it the early warning sign of something worse? (The real reason is I put my appointments on my phone and sometimes on the wrong day.)

If you’ve found yourself in the same boat, losing track of time, forgetting the day, wondering if you’re slipping or shifting, you’re not alone. A lot of us are slowly stepping away from the clock.

The Clock Is Still Ticking, But I’m Not Listening

Time used to own me. Color-coded calendars. Back-to-back meetings. Conference calls filled with phrases like “circling back” and “let’s align on that.” Deadlines with ominous names like “Q3 Objectives” and “Year-End Deliverables.”

Now time feels different. It feels faster and seems to slip through my fingers. I don’t get things done as quickly as I once did. Some days, I don’t know what day it is, and honestly, I’m almost okay with it. (Almost.)

It used to rattle me. But more and more, I hear from women who share the same sentiment. Like the internal clock we’ve lived by is suddenly broken. Or maybe, we are finally free.

Here’s the thing: I also lose track of time when I’m doing what I love. Hours disappear while I’m writing, painting, or photographing. That’s not forgetting; that’s living in the moment and connecting to your higher self.

Aging Isn’t Slowing Down. It’s Resetting.

We believe that time seems to move faster as we age. And maybe it does. But we should also stop measuring it by the hour. We start measuring it by meaning.

By the laughter that lingers too long over dinner. By the walk that turns into a talk that turns into, “Wait, where did we park?” By the quiet moment where you feel your life while you’re living it. When you stand outside, feel the cool breeze and think about God’s amazing creation.

We stop rushing because we finally realize that no one’s handing out awards for showing up five minutes early with perfectly groomed eyebrows and a perfectly organized life.

So, What If I’m Late?

Showing up late, or not at all, isn’t failure. Maybe it’s reset. Maybe it’s not a crisis. Maybe it’s a quiet rebellion. A way of saying, “I’m not ruled by the clock anymore. I’m ruled by what matters.”

And that nagging worry (is something wrong with me?) might be the old version of yourself holding on. The one who believed punctuality mattered more than presence. And I was rarely punctual, but I knew it was expected.

If the forgetting ever feels like more than just losing track, if it starts to genuinely concern you, there’s no shame in talking to someone about it. But for most of us, this shift isn’t a decline. It’s just different. A reset we didn’t know we needed.

Time will keep ticking. Appointments will be missed. This new rhythm, based on meaning rather than minutes, is exactly what we needed and what we’ve earned.

If you’ve been feeling disoriented by your own shifting sense of time, take heart. You’re not broken. You might just be exactly where you’re supposed to be, right on time.

Please let me know how time has changed for you.