Where does the time go? Have you ever been watching TV and at some point snap out of a trance and realize that an hour has passed without realizing it?
It is too easy to spend our time and have nothing to show for it in the end. The reality is that many of the things we do with our time is just busy work.
What we think is good work might actually be distracting us from the great work available to us.
Image courtesy Stuart Miles/DigitalPhotos.net
Our time is the most valuable commodity we have access too. To help you use that commodity better, here are 3 time wasters to be mindful of:
Pointless Reading:
Time is limited, life is busy. For this reason, I only read books that will build into me. That might be selfish and I am totally fine with that.
When you read for entertainment, you are basically watching TV. When you put the book down you have done nothing to fulfill your potential.
Before you lash back at me, I do believe that there is a time and place for fiction reading. Such as when it is time to relax, or when you are on vacation. It can be a great way to stimulate creativity.
Sleep:
I enjoy sleep. I try to sleep 7-8 hours each night and when possible I take a nap every day (thank you Michael Hyatt for that).
Anymore sleep than that (except under the guidance of a doctor) is a waste of your time and a waste of your potential.
If you were to cut out 10 minutes of sleep out each night, you would have an extra 60 hours each year. What would you do with an extra 60 hours this year?
Life is busy. I have 2 young kids and a full-time job. The only alone time I get is before the family wakes up. Jon Acuff says it’s ok to be selfish with your time, just be selfish at 5am.
I haven’t fully gotten there yet, but I have seen the value of utilizing my time before my family awakens.
Entertainment:
I love sports, it doesn’t matter what time of the year it is, I have a team to cheer for. I also know that the average professional sports game is 3 hours long.
That means if I watch 3 games a week, that’s equivalent to a work day that I don’t get paid for.
Let this time be the first you harvest from if you feel stressed out, overwhelmed and like you just don’t have any time.
This goes the same for Facebook, YouTube and other sites online. Just to make sure everyone is equally offended. This also includes American Idol and Dr. Phil!
Taking time to unwind, veg-out and relax is good. Just be in control of how much time you feed it.
Here is the deal. I believe you were created for greatness. There is no way you were created and put on this earth for no good reason.
With that in mind, we need to be careful that we unitize our time the best we can.
If we don’t cage our time, it will fly away and we will never see it again.
I know I could easily be ashamed of how much time I have wasted in my life.
I also know that I have complete control over how much time I waste today and tomorrow.
Utilize your time wisely, it’s the only time you have!
