The business of time
Man in London street
If you made a living out of people not having enough time to get things done, then the idea of everyone doing less in order to remedy the situation, might not be very appealing.
Claire Brynteson is founder and Managing Director of buy:time, a lifestyle management company that provides a PA service to clients who lack the time to deal with personal tasks. But rather than argue against it, Claire is more than aware of the need for Londoners to slow down, having experienced the strain of fast living, herself.
“It’s got to the stage” says Claire, “where my husband and I, have to arrange a day and time when we can see each other. What does that say about us, when a husband and wife have to resort to dating?”
Previously, Claire worked in the City, where she came up with the idea of buy:time after finding an increasing need for another ‘me’ in order to get everything done. Since then, she has witnessed dramatic changes in how people live, particularly when it comes to the way in which we communicate. “I can remember when I used to write maybe 10 or 20 letters to clients in a day and wait a day or two for a reply. These days, it’s normal for me to send out 150 emails a day. Communications have made an enormous difference and people now expect immediate results.”
Inevitably, these changes have infringed on other areas of life and Claire feels that part of this, is a pressure to stay ahead of the game.
“There is a fear of failure there. You know that if you don’t get the job done, there is someone else waiting who will.” As a result, the traditional business hours of 9 to 5 have been eroded away, leaving work and home life often overlapping. “These days, it’s normal for people to make business calls in the evenings or at the weekends. I’m constantly on the phone. It’s 24 hours”
But regardless of all this, Claire acknowledges that is there something appealing about life in the fast lane. “It’s exhilarating. People find it addictive. Sometimes I wonder whether I should move to the countryside and choose a quieter life, but I think I would just get bored. I want to be stimulated and I want to be around other people who feel the same way.”
As long as these pressures and influences remain, Claire thinks that people may find it hard to feel they can relax. But she wonders if the next generation may see it differently.
“It’s very difficult to stop doing certain things because you feel that you need to keep it all going; it’s all part of the bigger picture. My children have grown up hating my phone because I’m always on it and maybe they will decide that they don’t want this type of lifestyle.”
Alex Rankin
