The True Meaning of “I Don’t Have Time” and “I Don’t Know”

Every time you say “I don’t have time I’m busy”, it’s not that you don’t really have time. It just means it’s not your priority right now.

Imagine you’re being invited to a party — scheduled next Friday.

If you’re hesitating, it’s likely you already have a plan next Friday. And it’s impossible to reschedule. So you decline the invitation.

But is it really impossible?

Let’s say the invitation isn’t a party, but having coffee with a good friend whom you haven’t met for years, and there’s no other chance you’d meet again in the near future.

Who is this friend? Someone who has helped you in the past. Someone very important to you.

You’re still probably hesitating, but it’s likely you’re considering it as well. And now you’re thinking about rescheduling your other appointments. You say to yourself that those appointments aren’t that important — there are more things that matter. “Meeting this friend is now a priority.”

It may not be the case for everyone, but you get the idea. Point is:

We make time for the things that truly matter to us.

And you might be surprised that this is the same with “I don’t know (about that thing)…”

It’s probably true you don’t know. But the implication is: You don’t really care about it.

And if you don’t care, it’s unlikely that you’ll spend enough time researching, learning, and understanding it.

The things you know are the things you care about. The things you are willing to spend your time and energy are the things that truly matter to you.

Finally you combine all your excuses: I don’t know. I don’t have time I’m busy (which translates to: I don’t care. It’s not my priority).

I can relate how hard to be honest with every person you meet — you can’t just say the truth, in most situations. But at least, try to be honest with yourself. Self-awareness makes a huge difference.