Time Well Spent

There are two ways to spend your time: You can spend it on activities that move you forward or on those that don't.

Would you like to have a glimpse into your future? Look at how you're spending your time today. Are you taking steps to improve your career and your financial situation? Are you engaging in activities that strengthen your personal relationships? Are you developing skills? Enhancing your knowledge? Taking care of your health?

What would you like to change in your future? Would you like to have a more fulfilling marriage, a more rewarding career, better health? Would you like the chance to travel? Would you like to accomplish something that's always been important to you?

Change the way that you are spending your time.

It's important to maintain a balance between advancement and enjoyment. The objective is not to make every minute of your day productive. Obsessive activity leads to burnout, general unhappiness, and potentially, poor health and failed relationships. 

That said, most of us can afford to scale back on unimportant tasks and unproductive relationships. How many times a day do you need to check email or social media? Could you scale it back a bit? How many times a month do you need to meet friends or colleagues at a bar? Could you cut back enough to take a class, read a book, of squeeze in some workouts?

And when you do dedicate time to productive tasks, make sure that you are using that time efficiently. Studying for two hours while watching television is not as efficient as focusing on the subject for an hour without distractions. Make the most of your time, even your productive time.

It's hard to break habits. It's hard to not look at your phone, to avoid television, to refuse a tempting invitation. It's even more challenging to distance yourself from people who waste your time. 

Resolve to make small changes in your schedule, to monitor your progress, and to continue to look for ways to accomplish more in the time that's available. That's the best that any of us can do. Fortunately, if we dedicate ourselves to using time more wisely, it will be enough.

Copyright © 2017 Daniel R. South 

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