Just recently I bought a new watch. I'd been looking to replace my old one for a while (a little large, plus it had water damage from a dip in the Jordan River this summer). I've really missed wearing a watch, primarily because I don't have to go digging around in my pocket just to figure out what time it is. But along with that, and this may sound really weird, I have really missed the ticking of the second hand. In the quiet of the evening, I've missed hearing that little tick-tick-tick next to me on my desk. Some days it can really get on my nerves, and some days it can lull me into a restful sleep.
I think the main reason I both hate and enjoy that infernal ticking is that it reminds me that time is not slowing down. Whether you like it or not, you have no control over the passing of time; it chugs along at 60 seconds a minute, 60 minutes and hour, 24 hours a day. Only one time in recorded history has time stood still (Joshua 10:1-15), and only once has time reportedly gone backward (Isaiah 38:7-8). Time is precious on this earth, and we only get a few years here (read Psalm 90 for a reminder of how short life truly is). Many will not even make it to old age, thanks to sickness or accidents or the like. For me, the ticking of the clock is a reminder to seek to make the most of every second God has given me.
This can take many different forms. I can take Jesus' command captive that says not to worry about tomorrow, but to focus on the troubles of today ("Sufficient for the day is its own trouble"; see Matthew 6:25-34). At the same time, though, I could also follow James' advice to speculate on the future, with full knowledge that the Lord may have something else in mind. That, however, still means that I am making the most of the present so that such results can come in the future. Along those lines, I can keep before me the fact that the Lord is returning soon, and I should make the most of every moment before He returns living for His glory. (You can find a number of parables from the life of Christ and exhortation from the epistles to back this up.)
It's very easy to just let time slip away doing meaningless things. I'd hate to think how many hours I've wasted staring at social media sites, often reading the same thing over and over again as I refresh the page. Those are hours I will never get back, but they are excellent reminders that time can easily slip through your fingers. Don't let that happen to you. Make the most of each minute that the Lord has given to you as a gift.
Going along these lines, I'd like to share a spoken word piece by Propaganda entitled "Be Present" that really captures this theme. Even if this isn't what you normally listen to, I would encourage you to still check it out. Spend your time wisely; don't waste it on worthless things.