How to Slow Down Your Life

In partnership with

Hey there,

In a world where convenience reigns and patience is as outdated as a flip phone, there's one thing even Jeff Bezos can't buy—no, not a conscience—time.

It's our most valuable resource, yet it feels like it's slipping through our fingers faster than ever.

Ironically, we have more of it than previous generations.

Thanks to modern medicine, electricity, and basic hygiene (looking at you, medieval peasants), global life expectancy has more than doubled in the last two centuries.

And yet, life still seems to be zooming by.

If you feel like time is speeding up, you’re not imagining things—it’s all about perception.

Remember being a kid? A year felt like an eternity.

Summer break stretched on forever. An hour-long car ride was an epic journey.

But now, adulthood feels like a never-ending montage of Mondays.

One minute, you’re setting ambitious New Year’s resolutions, the next, you’re wondering how it’s almost 2026 and the only goal you achieved was finishing a Netflix series.

This phenomenon isn’t just existential dread; it's science.

In the 1970s, researcher Robert Lemlich introduced the Subjective Acceleration of Time With Aging.

His theory suggests that as we age, we perceive time as moving faster because each year becomes a smaller fraction of our total lifespan.

To a 5-year-old, a year is 20% of their life—a huge chunk. To a 50-year-old, it’s just 2%.

No wonder it feels like time is racing.

But here’s the good news: age isn’t the only thing shaping our experience of time.

Neuroscientist David Eagleman has spent years studying how our brains process time, and the biggest factor that makes life feel longer is novelty.

Our brains breeze through routine experiences but slow down when confronted with something new.

As young people, everything can be novel—our first bike ride, first crush, first burrito.

(And for some of us, an unfortunate first marriage proposal to our now-wife while our dog was taking a dump. Just me? Okay…)

The problem is, that as adults, we get stuck in routines.

We eat the same breakfast, take the same commute, talk to the same people, do the same workouts.

When life feels monotonous, our brains hit fast-forward. The solution, then, is to shake things up. 

Take a new route to work. Try a weird hobby. Finally meet someone who isn’t your college friend Bryce rehashing the same beer-from-a-shoe story.

Another way to slow time is to seek awe.

A Stanford study found that people who experienced awe—whether from nature, art, or astronaut documentaries—felt like they had more time.

Awe forces us to be present, anchoring us in the moment instead of stressing about emails or why our dog won’t stop barking at the vacuum.

Finally, one of the most powerful ways to stretch time is making progress toward meaningful goals.

A 2006 study found that when people followed events closely—like a presidential campaign—they believed more time had passed.

This is because milestones create memory markers.

Think back to when you started a business, learned a language, or attempted to deadlift more than you probably should have.

It feels like forever ago because your growth created countless mental checkpoints along the way.

The more we push ourselves toward goals, the more markers we create, and the longer life feels.

Ultimately, time isn’t something we control, but our perception of it is.

If life feels like it’s flying by, it’s time (pun intended) to break the cycle.

Try something new, embrace awe, and chase progress.

Like it or not, the clock is ticking, so we might as well make every second count.

Have a wonderful week, all.
Talk to you soon! - Scott (@motivatedscott).

Start learning AI in 2025

Everyone talks about AI, but no one has the time to learn it. So, we found the easiest way to learn AI in as little time as possible: The Rundown AI.

It's a free AI newsletter that keeps you up-to-date on the latest AI news, and teaches you how to apply it in just 5 minutes a day.

Plus, complete the quiz after signing up and they’ll recommend the best AI tools, guides, and courses – tailored to your needs.

Sign up to start learning.

Love content like this? Then you’ll love my podcast…

Listen to my top 100 health podcast with over 6 million downloads on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Up next on the podcast:

• I Thought Journaling was BS

Fact-based news without bias awaits. Make 1440 your choice today.

Overwhelmed by biased news? Cut through the clutter and get straight facts with your daily 1440 digest. From politics to sports, join millions who start their day informed.

Sign up now!