“You may delay, but time will not.” – Benjamin Franklin
Our time is precious, because it is the one resource we have that can never be replenished. We can not buy more time. But many people find themselves making mistakes with how they choose to spend this precious, irreplaceable resource. Let’s explore these mistakes and how we can do better to make the most of all that we have.
The first mistake is giving a lot of our time to people who are not worth it. Perhaps they are toxic to us or just push us to spend our time in a certain way, but these people are rarely worth so much of our time. A good relationship involves reciprocity and is defined by positive, meaningful experiences, which make a much better thing to spend our time on.
Another mistake is investing time in something that is making us actively miserable. We will never get back the time spent on a terrible job or doing tasks we find pointless. It’s useful to look for alternatives rather that just grind our teeth and bear it. The less time we can spend being miserable, the better. There are always better jobs and better situations.
The third mistake is spending time in a meaningless way. This will be different for everyone. Some people find games a waste of time, while many truly enjoy them. Ask yourself if the way you are spending your time has meaning and brings you true pleasure. If not, find new ways to pass the time.
We are reminded not to waste time so frequently, it almost becomes part of the background noise of our daily lives. But we need to keep this in mind always, as it becomes a way to motivate ourselves to do better and find more efficient and pleasant ways to spend our days.
We will never spend 100% of our time doing meaningful things or important things or fun things. That is not the goal. But you can make the most of each moment by choosing what you do and being present in the moment.
After all, one of the main ways in which we waste our time is by allowing our mind to wander everywhere except for the here and now. By working on this habit, we can maximize our engagement and enjoy our life, spending our time as well as we can.
