Surely you have heard this saying or even said it yourself.
Why?
Because when we are fully engaged in an activity our sense of time (perceptual time) is different to the clock’s time.
There was a major study done on this topic in 2012.
Here is the conclusion of the study.
“Although we tend to believe that time flies when we're having a good time, these studies indicate what it is about the enjoyable time that causes it to go by more quickly," says Gable. "It seems to be the goal pursuit or achievement-directed action we are engaged in that matters. Just being content or satisfied may not make time fly, but being excited or actively pursuing a desired object can.”
In Creative Fire we learned that surprise (the emotional kick) inspires a person to say “do it again” or
“give me more” creating a strong desire. It motivates us and kickstarts goal directed actions.
When this happens, our internal sense of time moves faster.
But when it habituates and boredom can happen, then our internal sense of time moves slower, it drags.
When we experience many exiting moment in a short time, its like you are speeding up your internal clock.
We look at the wall clock and say “wow! Its later than I thought!”
When we experience few exiting moment over a long time, it is like you slowing down your internal clock.
We look at the wall clock and say “Oh, I thought it was almost time to go home”
If you would like to read the actual study that we quoted, please download, enjoy.
Additional Reading
Harvard Mahoney Neuroscience Institute
This article expands on brain chemistry and its connection to fun
Hard to Break - Why Our Brains Make Habits Stick
This book explains how dopamine is essential for building habits. It includes loads of evidence-based studies demonstrating how the brain works, from establishing cues, rules, and motivation.
