A business opens at a set time, say 8am. They have business hours. You look them up and know when to show up and when to stay away.

Wheat is planted in the Fall, usually best right before a rain. But how do you predict the rain?

In college I learned about two different concepts for time in Greek – chronos vs kairos.

Chronos Time

Chronos time is measurable. Think of a watch, or business hours. You know what to expect. You know how it goes. You know when it comes and when it goes.

Our Western world lives by chronos time. We start at a specific time and finish sometime later. We go to sleep at a time and set our alarms to wake us up at a specific time.

Our days are structured by chronos. Days, in and of themselves, are chronos-set segments of time ticking away every second.

You feel the pressure of chronos. We all do.

Kairos Time

Kairos, on the other hand, translates as “appointed season”.

As mentioned above, wheat is planted in kairos. Sure, there are some chronos markers for planting, but timing plays more of a role than time.

Wheat harvest, even more so. As wheat grows, it matures at different rates year to year. Rain, freeze, wind, and sunshine all impact the speed of growth. So you have to wait for the kairos to harvest.

Kairos is more fluid, and thereby less structured. Instead of watching a clock, you’re watching for signs.

Mastering Your Time Isn’t About Mastering Anything

I have often wondered about the kairos of my own leadership development. I was 35 when I first read Maxwell’s 21 Laws of Leadership, and it was life giving for me in that season of life. Had someone given me that book at 18, or 25, or even 32, I’m not sure I would have had the same experience. There was something about the kairos of the moment – the converging of my own readiness and the content I was consuming.

My leadership journey is really a series of kairos moments. At the right time of my life, someone offered encouragement that pushed me further down the path. Repeat that sequence multiple times, and I am where I am today.

Truthfully, there’s a loss of control when I chase this rabbit. How do I know if I’m in the kairos for the next decision? Sure, I can circle a date on a calendar, but it may or may not be the kairos. I can read a book, listen to a podcast, or have a conversation, but how do I know if the kairos is right?

Spoiler: I don’t think we know in the moment, in the chronos.

Understanding the difference between chronos and kairos is understanding our growth happens in both definitions. If we commit to growing daily, then we are setting ourselves up to grow in the right moment.

So where’s your commitment? Are you committed to growing today? Can you look back over your life and identify some kairos moments and some chronos moments? Are you ready for your next right season?