How to balance time and opportunities in entrepreneurship (approach from the PONI project)?

Who are Chronos and Kairos?

Chronos swears by linear time. This is the time of clocks, calendars, deadlines and… order. In the world of Chronos, we measure minutes, hours and days, optimize processes and processes, and constantly check how many tasks we have completed and how many are still ahead of us. And as tiring as this may seem, it is in a way essential for the functioning of various segments of society – without Chronos, there would be no meetings, project deadlines or organized work. In other words, Chronos performs an important function. The problem arises when Chronos becomes the one and only criterion for a successful day, week, month.

The opposite of Chronos is Kairos. Kairos means “the right moment” or “the right opportunity” and often refers to the quality of the experience of time . For example, it does not ask how long something took, but what was the meaning, feeling and effect of that moment. It is about exactly the right time when something can happen or change. This is the time when we are in touch with ourselves, when we experience the so-called “flow”. We are in flow when we have an exceptionally good conversation/interview, or when our work flows easily and with full concentration. It is important to emphasize that Kairos does not deny structure, but warns that time is not only a quantity, but also an experience.

The difference between Chronos and Kairos can be simply expressed in two questions: Chronos asks us “what time is it”, while Kairos asks “is now the right time”.

But what happens when we are “hit” by stress for one reason or another? Most of us in such a state strengthen Chronos even more. When we feel that we lack time or that time is slipping away from us, we try to control our time and activities even more strictly. The paradox is that this does not lead us to a “green branch”, but very often leads to even greater fatigue, dissatisfaction and a certain internal resistance to work. We work a lot, but we do not feel fulfilled. Why? Because the problem is not that we have too little time, but that we have too little “good time”.

In such situations, we often find ourselves frantically searching for new and innovative methods to optimize our time. Practice shows that this does us no good at all. A shift for the better (if not a revolution) in time management certainly does not happen with some new tool or some more sophisticated planning method.

A qualitative shift is made only and solely by a shift in perspective and perception. Instead of asking “how can I do more?” it is more appropriate to ask “when is the right time for what?” And this is the first step towards consciously balancing Chronos and Kairos.

In practice, this does not mean that we simply whistle or throw away schedules and to-do lists. It only means that we take away their dominance, a kind of absolute power with which Chronos has us in its grip. Chronos should only take care of the basic structure of the day or a period – for what is truly urgent and binding. Kairos should be given space to shape the rhythm of the day, for energy, creativity, satisfaction and contact with oneself.

Until we can tame and balance this struggle between Chronos and Kairos, it is advisable to consciously observe Kairos moments. These are small but precious parts of the day when we feel especially “alive”, focused and at the same time calm. In the evening, we can ask ourselves a simple question: when did I experience such a moment today, a good moment? This kind of regular reflection gradually sharpens our sense of what truly gives us energy and momentum.

Another important practice is morning mindfulness. Instead of starting the day with a long to-do list, ask yourself how you want to feel today. Then, take action based on that feeling. If you want more peace, maybe plan a shorter walk or a more leisurely pace. If you want more focus, maybe set aside time for one deep task that you can complete with minimal or no interruptions.

The so-called “air gaps” in the day play a big role here. They are intentional spaces between obligations that allow us to transition, reflect, and regenerate. These moments are not a waste of time, but a condition for allowing Kairos to emerge in the first place.

The central message is this: time is, time is running, and we cannot increase the length of a 24-hour day by even a thousandth of a second. But we can significantly increase its quality, the quality of spending time. This will certainly happen when we learn and somehow internalize the switching between Chronos and Kairos. We will quickly realize that this does not make us less efficient, but above all more calm and human. Time management is no longer just a battle with the clock and deadlines, but becomes the art of matching the right moments.

Such an approach can also be quickly "abused" and become a convenient excuse and cover for laziness and irresponsibility. If we want to be a quality member of society and the wider community, we must still maintain fundamental values ​​such as hard work, responsibility and elementary honesty in life. Above all, towards ourselves. Only in this way will the balance found between Chronos and Kairos make sense.