Don’t Waste Your Time

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post, but this does NOT cost you anything extra! Check out my full disclosure for more info.

---

Simply put, our time is a precious commodity.

But instead of realizing this, we rush around, trying to accomplish as much as possible in our limited time.

With our hectic schedules, letting time slip away without accomplishing anything of value is easy.

However, there are ways to make the most of our time and avoid wasting it.

This post was written because I’ve realized that life is short, and we shouldn’t waste our limited time doing things that don’t bring us joy.

Steve Jobs has some excellent quotes (most of which I found on ABC News), but I like this one the best.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”

---

Life is Too Short

So why do we tend to waste on things that do not make us happy?

Going back twenty years, we didn’t have this issue. But today, we live in a world where we are constantly bombarded with messages telling us to buy this or do that to be happy.

It can be easy to forget that happiness is a choice.

We often waste our time and energy on things we think will make us happy, but they leave us empty and dissatisfied.

Guess what? Possessions and things will never make you happy.

The biggest one I’ve seen is buying something you think will make you happy. But after getting it, there is one thing you do. Look for the next “thing.”

They are digging into living and how the average person uses their time. I found a few things intriguing.

This study found that Americans spent over 1,300 hours on social media in 2020 (Forbes).

The crazy part of that study is that we spend over three hours daily on social media. What?

Again, this is just one study I found while doing some research. It’s pretty interesting to see how time is spent.

Something I’ve said before that I want to bring up again is that time is the one thing that once you “spend” it, it’s gone forever. So spending three hours on social media, what if you used that time for something productive?

You could try calling a friend, going for a walk, taking 10 minutes for meditation, or reading a blog (I know that’s why you are here, and I appreciate that).

Here are a few more interesting stats

Once I started looking this stuff up, I couldn’t stop. Take this website which found the following:

• The American Time Use Survey (ATUS) illustrates that we sleep an average of 8.5 hours daily.
• Work 8.5 hours a day (five days a week).
• Spend approximately two hours daily on household activities, including cleaning, laundry, preparing meals, etc.
• Leisure activities are around four hours daily (watching TV, socializing, exercising, eating, drinking, shopping).
• We also spend 51 minutes a day on grooming, 18 minutes a day for volunteering and religious activities, and 9 minutes on phone calls.

I won’t lie, but I don’t believe all of the above.
It might work for some people, but not many get eight hours of sleep a night.

And if you are curious, here is a wold data map on how we spend our time.

I might be beating a dead horse right now, but it’s important to remember that life is too short to waste on things that don’t make us happy.

We only have a limited amount of time on this earth, and we should make the most of it by doing things that bring us joy.

Of course, there will always be some aspects of our lives that are not pleasurable, but we can try to minimize these as much as possible.

---

Identify Time Suckers

It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life and lose track of what truly matters.

We have already discovered we spend time on things that don’t make us happy, but we do them anyway because they are a part of our routine.

So what things take up our time but don’t make us happy?

It seems at the top of many lists is work.

We may not always enjoy our jobs, but we do them because we have to earn a living.

What about the never-ending chores around the house?

You know what needs to be done, even though they’re not fun (like mowing the lawn, dishes in the sink, or cleaning the gutters).

Let’s not forget all the little things that eat away at our time throughout the day, like checking social media, watching TV, or browsing the internet.

We might use these things to disengage or relax, but let’s be honest. They are time suckers.

The above study is fascinating because we all know about time suckers.

We just don’t do anything about it.

I’ve received messages, comments, and emails from previous articles that claim they don’t have enough time. There are three areas I look to prove them wrong, including the time they spend on social media, watching TV (YouTube included), and shopping.

But what about the things we should be doing that bring joy to our lives? Let’s get into that!

---

Finding the Joy in Life

This is the part of spending time that is so much fun. A joyful life is full of happiness and contentment.

These are the things that will bring us motivation as well as happiness.

For me, that is trying to redevelop my writing.

I’ve been so preoccupied lately that I’m not writing as much as I should. And when that is how you make money, it’s a problem.

Finding what brings you happiness will allow you to live a happier and more fulfilled life.

Let’s make a pack and focus on those things. It might not be writing for you, but I suggest you try and find out what it is.

I’m writing this in Lake Tahoe, and I must admit, it might just be my happy place.

You might want to try taking an afternoon for yourself, going for a walk, or planning a weekend getaway with family or friends.

If it’s been a while since you went outside (a walk around the block, hike, or camping), you might miss out on an amazing thing.

Try this, when you are feeling stuck, go for a 10-minute walk. It’s amazing how great it will feel!

The important part is that we start taking our time back. Stop wasting it on things you don’t like doing (minus what you need to do to survive).

Once you do this, I’m optimistic you will feel better and be more productive overall.

Living a joyful life (where you aren’t always stressed) will improve your personal, professional, and physical health.

I know this first hand. After resigning from my career in law enforcement, I discovered I wasn’t as stressed all the time, sleep better, and started feeling like myself again.

I realized I was living in a fog that slowly started to lift.
I didn’t know this was happening until I took the first step.

I am sharing some of the personal things I’ve gone through to hopefully relate to what you are going through. But now, it’s time to focus on you.

---

It’s Your Time

It’s no secret that the things that bring us happiness can change over time.

What made us happy as children might not have the same effect on us now. And that’s OK! As we grow and change, so do our needs and wants.

But what doesn’t change is that we all want to be happy.

We all want to live a life that is fulfilling and satisfying. So, how can we ensure that we focus on the things that will bring us happiness?

No matter how busy you are, schedule some time for the activities and pursuits that (you guessed it) make you happy.

It’s funny how so many things we do and that I write about lead to happiness. Which so happens to be one of my favorite questions of all time!

---

What Makes You Happy?

As you might already know, this is a question I’ve been asking people for a few years.

I’ll do my best not to write it all again, but here is a short version (because when we do what makes us happy, the time is well spent!).

Maybe the answer would be working on your hobbies, spending time with family, being outside, or simply relaxing.

To help get your time back, focus on what makes you happy and then plan a few things in your day (or week).

This might allow you to find the essential things and forget about those time suckers.

Once you start discovering the small joys in life, I believe, separates the people living their best lives from those scraping by.

Case and point. I recently have fallen into a rut. I’m not doing what I need to do.

I started thinking about this post, and one of the reasons I started doing things on the weekends (for me, that is camping, waking up early for a hike, and now relaxing by a lake).

I’ve discovered an added benefit too! Once you start doing the things you enjoy, you will become more creative, which will help your business and your life!

---

Spending Your Time

We all have the same time (at least for now). There are 365 days a year and the same 24 hours every day.

How are you going to spend yours?

Once you discover your time suckers, focus on what brings you happiness. This is one way you can start taking your time back.

If you don’t believe me, try it for a few weeks. You might just be surprised by how much better you feel.

We must stop wasting our time on things that do not bring us joy. Instead, focus on the things that make us happy and fulfilled.

It’s time to stop wasting your time and start living the life you want to live today.