Time is a funny thing, isn’t it? I remember growing up always hearing ‘adults’ saying “Time is money,” and I never really understood what that actually meant. I would also hear people tell me the older I got, the quicker Time would fly by. And now, at the ripe old age of 25, these clichés are finally starting to sink in, and I’m realizing that they are clichés for a reason. Because Time….it just seems like there’s never enough of it.
I suppose everyone has different issues with Time, and everyone deals with the issues differently. For me, I don’t prioritize Time. I don’t put enough effort into how I spend my Time. I like to think I do– I make a to-do list for the day, set ‘boundaries’ of when to do what in order to maximize the hours I’m awake, and try and reserve some Time to be free and open to write, explore, create. But what usually happens during each part of my day?
When I’m trying to knock down things on my to-do list, when I’m trying to get a project done for work, when I’m trying to use ‘free Time’ to explore or write something awesome, I may start with great intentions, but it usually doesn’t take long for my attention to get diverted to something completely unrelated and, more often that not, something that adds no value to my life.
I recently installed an app on my phone that monitors how much Time I spend on that bad boy each day, just for fun. And guys, the results have been anything but fun. Yes, some of the Time on my phone is spent productively– sending an email, tweeting something for work, telling my mom ‘hi.’ But I know most of the usage is just plain pointless. I’ll admit it– I’m averaging 4-5 hours spent on my phone daily. Like….WHAT???
Then there’s everyone’s favorite mistress– Netflix. I mean, when I can just sit there and watch “Friends” and “The Office” over and over and over…it’s hard for me not to. I can’t resist a good sassy Chandler moment.
However I’m not blaming the phone or Netflix or anything else. I need to practice better self control. So today I’m sitting in a coffee shop, away from my mistress Netflix, all social media tabs are closed, phone is in my bag. And I have successfully (almost) finished this post.
Time and I are working on our relationship, and I really want to try and make it work between us. Because Time will be around for awhile (like forever) and I’d like for things to be a little better between us. I need to put Time first. And maybe I don’t have to totally end things with iPhone and Netflix, but I think I’ll put a little distance between us.
Time is maybe the most valuable resource we have. And I for one want to spend this resource with a little more intention, and a little more curiosity.
Curiously,
Tori
