What the TV show THE BEAR can teach us about time
The three words to repeat the next time you’re bored.
In season 2 episode 7, the show’s main character Carmy (Jeremy Allen-White)— forces his “cousin” Richie (Ebon-Moss Bachrach) to stage (be an unpaid intern) at the fanciest restaurant in the world.
Carmy’s intention is to train him on being a more professional front-of-house for the restaurant they’re building.
For the audience, it’s an inside look at the operations of a Michelin-star restaurant. An operation of maximum efficency where
EVERY SECOND COUNTS
It’s written underneath a giant clock that counts the time in seconds.
Imagine if we operated like that.
It’s a small but simple phrase that’s been imprinted in my brain for a couple of days.
Probably, because I’ve noticed myself wasting so many seconds throughout the day. For example, checking my phone and scrolling through Instagram instead of standing up and taking a deep breath. One of which, the latter, would be a much more healthy and productive use of my time.
I could come up with a host of examples. I know it’s nitpicky, but the seconds add up, and I also complain way too much about not having enough time.
In my mind, it’s also about staying present, not about constantly needing to fill in the schedule and be efficient. We can make every second count by sitting and reflecting that the seconds do, in fact, pass.
