Spending your time wisely - for real
In the self-development “bubble”, the principle of spending our time wisely can become an obsession that robs us of pleasure, necessary rest and – simply put – the joy of being alive.
Yes, Time is precious.
And it is not only a good idea, but also our responsibility, to spend it wisely.
Yet, “wisely” doesn’t mean maintaining a constant state of hustle, effectively using every minute of our existence. I will elaborate on this, but let’s take a step back to look at the essence of spending your time wisely.
Let me point out these two words: your & wisely.
You have a limited, unknown amount of time on this earth, in this life. I know, this can feel constrictive or create a sense of urgency and pressure. And it is absolutely okay to feel that way. Yet, it is worth trying to anchor into a different perspective – the one that understands your time as precious, and your choices as extremely powerful.
As you acknowledge that time is this precious resource that asks you to relate to it accordingly, it inspires you to become intentional with it.
Knowing that it is yours to decide how you want to use your time, how you want time to be filled by you and by life, is deeply empowering, because it transports the rebellious message that your being and your doing converts space (time) into something alive and meaningful.
So your time is yours to use, fill, and spend in a way that best serves your life, your dreams, visions & missions.
That brings us to the term wisely.
What I see is that many people confuse “spending time wisely” with “spending time productively & effectively”. However, the wise one doesn’t care about what is most productive. The wise one cares about what is most life-supporting, life- giving & life-enhancing.
Therefore, using your time wisely is not about being as productive as possible. It’s about asking yourself how your time can be spend in the most caring way. In a way that supports (your) life to become even more full.
So, when it’s no longer about productivity but fulfillment, new things come to the table that we can now view as worthy of our time. Like rest, for example. In the classical sense, productivity doesn’t value rest & relaxation & watching the clouds, doing nothing.
On the other hand, the concept of living in a way that cares for, nurtures, and enhances life absolutely sees rest as a beautiful and valuable way to spend our time.
You see, it’s all about the lens through which we view life. It is the lens that changes how we look at time and the meaning & value of the things we do or don’t do.
And you can choose which lens you look through..
I definitely recommend one based on self awareness and softness. I believe the worst lens to choose, is one of judgment and narrow-mindedness. (Remember, that judging yourself while watching a Netflix show is also a way of spending your time and energy. Instead, recognizing the beauty & humanness in the fact that a small percentage of your day is taken up by watching something that brings you a good portion of amusement & entertainment, can be life-giving. It’s not about perfection. It’s about celebrating the wholeness of life.)
You are the wise one to decide what well-spend time means to you
Depending on your needs, desires, values and your philosophy in life, how you want to spend your time is unique to you. It is a wonderful thing to be inspired by others, but it is important that we don’t skip the self reflection needed to make decisions and take actions that are authentic to us.
To delve deeper, I invite you to ponder these questions:
What are my main values in life? What really matters to me?
What do I desire to nurture and grow in my life? What needs to happen for that?
How could well-spend time look like for me? What do I want to spend my time with?
How can I be soft with myself? What are behaviors or habits of mine I secretly judge, that I now try to meet with acceptance? (That doesn’t mean they need to stay that way. Still, acceptance is always the first step, even if honestly want something to change).