Tuesday, January 1, 2019

HOW I LOST DAYS I CAN'T GET BACK !!

    Image result for a hit ,image,brain on drugs
         
         In my left pocket of my pants is a device I wasn't born with. It wasn't even invented until I was an adult. Therefore I lived many years without it, and did just fine. Now every couple of minutes I am reaching in to my pocket to check this device. Each time I check it I am devoting a small portion of my 24 hours to it. Every time I check it and I see someone has responded to one of my posts online my brain delivers a shot of satisfaction in the form of an endorphin. It makes me feel good, accepted, gratified. I go back, again and again for the fix.  Each visit is a short appointment to see if the dose of satisfaction is ready. What was the response? What did they say? Did someone like it ? Should I make another post ? Each visit cost me a portion of my valuable resource. Something that is more valuable than gold, money, or diamonds. My time.  

Even as I am typing these very words I am realizing that some where in my mind the value of satisfaction, be accepted, desired, liked, talked about by people online is calculated and valued to be worth more than the very time that determines my existence.  I have been willing to waste my time in hopes that someone would comment in a small way and acknowledge my presence. What I was willing to fill with proactive activities and actually face to face engagement as a child I have been willing to substitute with a simulation of reality as an adult. Yikes. 

If I could add up all the time I spent checking my phone in 2018 I'm sure it would add up to days. How many hours have I given away ? How much quality time with people of influence have I lost ? How many adventures have I missed out on ? 

My goal for 2019 is not to go cold turkey. My goal is to tackle each hour of each day as a hurdle by planning my day and week ahead with more productive activities. Trying to tackle all 365 days of 2019 at one time by saying I will suddenly be better is a bit overwhelming for me. Addressing this moment and today is challenging, but manageable. I must constantly ask myself .."What is a better use of my time ?"

Time wasters are strange demons that become vacuums for our time. 

What takes up your time, but adds little value to it ?

What goal haven't you been working on that is more important than this other activity that is wasting your time ?


We all are given 24 hours each day. Each moment of that 24 hours is incredibly precious. Why ? Because no matter who we are, how rich or famous we may become we can never buy back time.