Who knows where the time goes?

I have often wondered exactly what happens between having a plan and actually carrying it out. Sometimes it’s obvious. Life gets in the way. Something happens that you absolutely have to deal with first (broken bones, friends needing help, family ailments, redundancy, marriage, giving birth and putting out house fires all figure on the ‘ok not now and that’s ok’ list).

Kudos for anyone that can do any two things at once, but there’s a whole other group of things that absorb time and steal the energy between idea and action. Reading the entire internet, or worse, the whole of Instagram (replace with Facebook, TikTok YouTube as applicable). But I’ve noticed an even worse and more insidious time stealer.

The little AI commentary that now seems to be obligatory with every app on the internet.

My watch has suddenly decided that what I need to wake up to is a snidey comment about how I’d have scored much more highly on my sleep rating if I’d gone to bed earlier. Or not woken up in the middle of the night.

The bike rides I log on Strava are suddenly subject to a slightly sycophantic message claiming to be from ‘Athlete Intelligence’ about how my ride was longer or faster than recently, or perhaps more steady or in a different zone. It’s oblivious of the terrain (yes this ride will indeed be faster than my monthly average if it’s downhill) or whether I actually want to know that a smashed my ride to the shops (for the third day in a row). But somehow I continue to read the text - because it’s there. I didn’t need this before AI. And, I’ve decided, I don’t need it now.

I need to read less breathy and perfectly formulated prose which bears a tenuous relationship with reality. I need to just do the stuff I want to do. Go out side. Breathe. Feel more. Get distracted less. And not be seduced into reading (or worse, relying on) messages from a large language model that is engaged in constantly calculating the best sequence of words to keep my attention.

It’s pretty easy to turn off Athlete Intelligence on Strava by the way. I’ve pasted the instructions below:

Can I turn off this Athlete Intelligence summary feature?

Yes, from your Activity Details page, tap “Say More,” then click “Give Feedback,” and scroll down to “Leave Athlete Intelligence.” You will no longer see the Athlete Intelligence summaries on your Activity Detail Page.

I’ve also decided to take my watch off. I can’t help waking up at night, it’s a function of being a 54 year old woman that will (I hope) change with time. I’ll be damned if I let a word generator deal me a bit of daily disappointment to add insult to injury.

And I can turn off notifications. Monzo can stop telling me that I’ve spent more than average for week two of the month. Trainline, it’s actually freaky that you let me know I’m in France at random intervals as though I’ve teleported here without noticing. Nor do I need to know how many people looked at my LinkedIn profile, which of my friends commented on another friend’s post or how someone I once met in a bar has liked a picture. I’ll go and look if I’m really that bothered.

Honestly, now I think about it there is far far too much trying to grab my attention. The drip drip drip of constant information. It’s only a few seconds here, a few there. But all these moments of attention-seeking inanimate objects mount up to a whole load of lost concentration, distraction and emotional energy. No wonder I feel like I’ve got late onset ADHD. Focus is difficult enough at the best of times. But it’s a pleasure to get into the zone - writing, biking, painting or sewing. The less electronic intervention the better.

Across the evening sky, all the birds are leaving,
But how can they know, it's time for them to go?

If you want something good to do with your time - and a reminder that it is brief and beautiful - you can listen to the actual ‘Who knows where the time goes’ by the great Sandy Denny. It’s a glimpse of inevitability of the passage of time and our tragically misplaced belief in our own eternity. Use your time well.

Sad, deserted shore, your fickle friends are leaving

Ah, but then you know, it's time for them to go,

But I will still be here, I have no thought of leaving,
I do not count the time.

For who knows, where the time goes?