We talk about time, well, all the time. All day we look at our watches, phones, and car clock just to check the time. Turn on the radio, and you hear about time. Clint Black singing about “Killin’ Time”. Otis Redding telling us it’s okay to be “sittin’ on the dock of the bay” wasting time.
Right now, every time we log onto Facebook, someone has posted a countdown until Christmas. Then will come New Year’s Eve and day, and they are all about marking time. About counting down the time til the end of the year when we list our brand-new resolutions, that we never find time for. Our fascination with time surrounds us.
We often think we have all this time. This is why we procrastinate. “I’ll have time to get to it later” is the mantra of the ProcrastiNation. So is “I’ll make time to do this or that” or “I’ll squeeze that in when I find the time”. But it seems like we never do. So then our anxiety rises, our health begins to suffer, and we don’t live the life we could be living. Then we add in phrases like “We have all the time in the world,” then couple that in with the idea we can make or find time, and it places us solidly in the heartland of the ProcrastiNation.
The problem is that we can’t make or find time. We already have all the time we’re ever going to get. Every person from the panhandler on the street to Elon Musk has a set amount of time each week. So why is it he runs a 1,000 businesses, while we can’t follow our passions, achieve our goals, or start one business based on our talents?
Every minute of the 168 hours we’re given each week is occupied by something. Sleep, work, dinner, you name it, and it all occupies or owns our time. This isn’t a bad thing, it just is. We need to pay attention, is all. Figure out what is more important for using your time. Decide your time for excuses is over, and your best life is more important than your favorite TV show (besides it’s all streamed, so you can watch it anytime). Priorities are the way to retaking time so you can fulfill your dreams and bucket lists, and live your best life.
One phrase I am trying to avoid these days is “I’ll make time.” I have to remind myself that isn’t possible. That I can’t create any more time. But I can “take” time away from whatever occupies another time slot in my life. Taking of time makes me proactive (emphasis on “active”) and banishes me from the nation of procrastinators. This holiday season, take time away from whatever keeps you from your best life. Go out there and do your life. Now is your time!