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Key points
- Most of us don't live as if our time is limited, and therefore waste too much of it.
- Ways to make better use of time include defining what's important and regularly doing things outside one's usual routine.
- Focusing on time more thoroughly can help reveal the gifts inherent in every moment.
Time. It can’t expand or contract. You get the same amount every single day. It is predictable, with scheduled times for sunrises and sunsets. You can set the clock back and then ahead, depending on where you live, twice a year. The point is, time is one of the few predictable elements in life, and it is the great equalizer. No one gets more in a day than anyone else; it doesn’t matter how much money or influence you have, it is the same for everyone.
The issue is what you choose to do with the time. And how — thinking you might have more than you do throughout your life — you might choose to waste too much of it. What would you do if someone gave you $86,400 as a gift? Would you think long and hard about how you would use that money, and what fun or important things you would do with it? That’s the number of seconds we are given each and every day. But do you get up in the morning and think about what valuable and important things you will do with every second? Very few people do.
Time is precious
If you have ever had someone close to you, a friend or loved one, who has been given a difficult diagnosis, you know the striking contrast when one realizes they may not have the amount of time they were counting on in this life. All of a sudden, time matters a lot, and making the most of it becomes imperative.
Most people don’t live like time is precious. They live like tomorrow is another day, so they will get to whatever matters to them, then. Each minute, each hour, and each day is a valuable commodity, and it might be time for you to consider how you are using what you are given.
Life is busy. Families are demanding. Work is long and sometimes very hard. You might be tired by the time you finish your workday, get your kids to bed, and respond to a few personal contacts. You might be bored and not use the time you are given, thinking it is endless anyway, so what’s the point?
Six ways to make the most of your time
Start thinking about your “gift” of 86,400 seconds each day. Use them wisely each and every day. Here's what you can do, especially if you are busy and time seems to disappear:
- Define what you care about. You have to make a living, pay the bills, attend to your family or friends in need, finish the paper due for class and cook your meals. There are certain non-negotiables, but while you are doing all of these “have-to” things, consider what you care about. Do you want to enjoy the process? Do you want to improve yourself? Do you want to learn something new? Do you want to gain insight or use the time you are doing these things to get in touch with your inner self? The point is that every activity in life gives you a chance for a deeper meaning if you establish first what you would like it to be.
- Do something that breaks up the regular rhythm (sometimes considered “monotony”). Call a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while. Take a walk somewhere pleasant. Plan a trip even if you won’t take it for a while. Look through pictures of a place or people who make you happy. Breaking up your normal routine takes your brain out of the rote mode and helps you think again.
- Do things mindfully. Eat slowly. Enjoy the taste and the smell of your food. Walk slowly and pay attention to the feel of the ground under your feet or the air on your skin. Be mindful when you speak. Listen well when others speak to you. Slow yourself down many times throughout the day to be deliberate and pay attention to what’s happening around you.
- Stop and consciously breathe several times throughout the day. Take deep breaths in through your nose, exhale with gusto out through your mouth. Be in touch with your breathing. Focus on the miracle that the breath is. You don’t have to think about it, and yet it keeps you going all throughout the day. Put your attention on it.
- Become a planner. If time eludes you, start being more conscious of what you use it for and what you commit to. If you are a “yes” person who agrees to take on more than you should, consider saying “no." If you do commit, break down what’s needed into small and discrete tasks so you can make incremental progress instead of rushing to get something done. Put things on the calendar. Plan for planning.
- Get attached to your calendar. Plan “me time," “thinking time,” and “time-to-plan time." Don’t expect this will just unfold naturally. Be deliberate until it is more natural for you.
Becoming more mindful and deliberate about your time will help you focus on it more thoroughly and find the gifts in every moment you are given.
