Never Enough Time

Rush, rush, rush.  Hurry, hurry, hurry.  It seems there’s just never enough time in a day to get everything done that needs to get done.  We rush from one location to another.  We spend a little time with this group of people and a little bit of time with that other group.  We do one activity until it’s time to do the next activity until it’s time to go to bed in time to get up again and do it all over again.  When does it end?!?!

You have two options.  You can choose to end that lifestyle now or you can simply live that way until you die.  So, the simple answer is that it ends whenever you decide it’s going to end or it ends when you die.  It’s totally up to you.  It’s your choice.  It’s within your control.  You have the power to stop all the chaos right now.

Some of you don’t believe me.  You’ll argue that it’s irresponsible to just walk off your job, abandon your children, and go raise sheep in Scotland.  I agree.  I am, in no way suggesting that you abruptly walk away from important responsibilities like your marriage, your children, or your career.  However, I am, very much, suggesting that now is the time to seriously examine your life and determine how much of it you are LIVING by doing things you totally enjoy and how much of it you are ENDURING, moment by moment, just waiting for one time period to fade into the next, on and on and on.

You cannot and should not get out of realistic responsibilities that you have gotten yourself into.  You should not forsake your spouse, abandon your children, or call your employer and tell them you’ll never be in again.  However, you will find, if you carefully examine your life, that you are wasting time on things that you don’t even care about and that those things are taking time away from the things that really do matter to you.

We all need to have some sort of employment or income to cover our expenses, but we often raise our expenses each time our income raises.  We buy another car or a newer car or a bigger house or another set of season tickets or a big screen TV or a computer or a wine rack or a couch or a box of tools.  Each new thing we add to our life take us time.  Even something like a box of tools needs space and needs to be taken care of.  Does it need a lot of care?  Not really, but it needs a little, and so does the bagel toaster and so does the electric can opener and so does the hot shaving lather machine… Each and every thing we buy and own and add to our household takes time and energy and attention.

If we clear our life of the unnecessary clutter, we will find we have far more time for the most important things in life.  Here’s a challenge – As soon as you finish reading this article, get up and wander around your house and find 10 things that you will put into your car and drive directly to a donation center.  It can be 10 items of clothing, appliances, dishes, books, or whatever you find that still has some sort of value.  Find 10 things and get rid of them today.  You will be on your way to having more time to spend on the things that are most important to you.

Marlo Archer, Ph.D.
Down to Earth Enterprises
1250 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 102
Tempe, AZ 85283
(480) 705-5007