How many times have you said yourself or heard someone say “Where did the time go?”. If you think about it, the question is pretty funny. It’s funny because time doesn’t skip. There are still 24hrs in each day, however, times does move by quickly. The problem is, we don’t maximize those hours by working “smarter” or taking care of those things which have the most importance in our lives first. We get distracted.
As I look back at my life, I saw how I fell into that distraction category. How I allowed other things to take priority over what’s really important in my life and for my life. I thank God as I got older, I was able to make a change sooner than later.
As I look over 2014, it feels great to know I’ve been able to help others make a change for their future but they’re still many others who haven’t grasp the importance of making these changes now. The most common response is “ I’m really too busy”. It’s a shocking response especially when the topic at hand is of major importance and value. So what is being “ Too busy”
Too Busy: a relative term, meaning we have prioritized certain activities above other activities.
So think about, if you know there are things that are very important for you to do, but yet, you put these important things off because you prefer to do other things with your time, then your response is almost 100% “I’m really too busy”. This is actually a term they call, “ A Time Waster”.
Time wasters are anything that keep you from accomplishing the proper use of your time based on your priorities and values. “But Trey, I’m doing a lot in the time that I have… I don’t think I’m wasting my time… I think I’m managing it well.” That’s fine, but believe it or not, time wasters can be "good things". Now I don't mean they are good for you, but that they may masquerade as something "good". You may be able to look at them in a vacuum and say that the things you are spending your time on are inherently good... that is until you weigh them against your priority list. Then it becomes clear that these "good" things are actually "time wasters".
I remember Jim Rohn speaking on the topic of time wasters a while back. Jim said Time wasters fall into two primary categories: The urgent and the pleasurable.
The urgent: If we do not have a firm grasp on our priorities, and work hard to develop a schedule that keeps us working on the important things we want to achieve, eventually the "urgent" will be upon us. The urgent things cry out to us, telling us they are important, when in actuality they are not. The power of the urgent time waster is in the dramatic demand it makes on us. When it calls our name and appears to show us just how urgent it is that we spend time on it, it takes away from the very important things we should be working on. And I have found that urgent things can rarely be done in short order. They usually drag themselves out, keeping us even further from our true goals.
The Pleasurable. Pleasurable time wasters are extremely insidious. Sometimes when we waste time with urgent matters, we know we are wasting time and we wish we could get out of them. Not so with pleasurable time wasters. These are the things that we willingly and openly pursue. We know they are time wasters and yet we still pursue them. Why? Because they are Fun! They are pleasurable. We enjoy them, and that keeps us from disciplining ourselves to work on our priorities. It’s like someone who wants to save money but still goes out to the clubs, restaurants or movies every weekend. They do it because it’s fun. Someone who who wants to lose weight yet keeps eating dessert night after night. They do it because it tastes good. Or someone who really wants to know they’re saving enough for retirement but yet they never sit down with a professional to plan for their future, they still continue with what they’re doing or they use the excuse “i’m too busy”. They do this because they’re complacent.
Examine yourself. Think about time wasters. Do you have urgent time wasters or do you have pleasurable time wasters? Always be aware of so-called "urgent" matters, because most of the time they are just time wasters. Have the courage to let them go. At the very least, take a serious look at your life and make sure you aren't constantly living in crisis mode. Crisis mode is a very dangerous thing when it comes to making good decisions and managing your time. For pleasurable , this takes brutal honesty with yourself. It takes a real ability to admit to yourself that you are choosing what is fun rather than what is important.
As you look towards 2015, recognize what a precious gift time is. It’s one of the most precious gifts you will receive. Once that moment in time is spent, it can never be retrieved. If someone has spoken to you and is willing to help you get your future on the right track, don’t put it off, make 2015 the year to make it a priority. You are valuable just as Time is valuable.
Let 2015 Be You Turning Point !!
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