Nomad Diaries #2: How to make more time in life (Point 3 is very important)

naomibowler (42)in #life • 7 years ago (edited)

Happy Monday, Steemians!

How was your weekend? ♡

Since this is my first Monday of this new sharing of my blogs with you, I thought I’d share some wisdom nuggets about something we all know too well. Maybe it will even help you this week. If you look at my bio you’ll understand quickly what I mean.

I do too many things. Professionally speaking. I am a ruthless, over ambitious individual who is always hungry for more. On average my work days range from 11-16 hours and my work is open seven days a week, depending on whether or not we’re counting time spent on my phone (where I’m also always doing work-related stuff like social media and emails) and also if I’m traveling to another continent. Traveling is a big word here. If you’re a frequent traveler or even a digital nomad like me, you’ll surely know how precious time is. But even for those reading who are neither workaholics (I hope you're not) nor digital nomads/travelers, we all know this topic too well.

To begin this post, I have a question for you.

When was the last time you said the words “I don’t have time for ___”?

It’s something I hear way too often from all sorts of people. Everyone, basically. Including myself.

Time is something we all need and desire more of, but don’t respect as much as we could. How much time do we spend per day scrolling on our phones consuming non-urgent information? How many times per day - or even hour - do we get distracted? How much time does the average person spend watching netflix per week? How much time do we spend doing the things that aren’t absolute priority?

We’re all guilty to our own extent, but there is hope. Lots of hope. There are solutions. They just require some adjustment and lots of practice. And what’s exciting is that our generation - in certain parts of the Western hemisphere namely Europe and the US - is making a shift. More Millennials are beginning to prioritize time over money. That makes me happy to be among this notorious generation. Money is important and a great thing to have, but without time we are nothing. I’m so glad we’re slowly but surely introducing this way of thinking.

First off, I need to address one common misconception I hear all the time: Time management. Heck, I even have a certification in Time Management. What did I learn from this?

We do not have the power to control time. We do, however, have the power to control our commitments. And we absolutely need to control our commitments in order to enjoy more “free” time.

People ask me how I juggle my own life of being a small business owner, a content creator, artist, et al, while traveling and still finding me-time (social and love life is a little scarce these days). The truth is, I’m still working on finding the perfect balance. I don’t get as much of everything as I would like, because I am on the way to mastering my commitments myself. So while I’m on this journey, why don’t you hop on for a ride with me?

Awesome, welcome aboard! Here are a few points I’ve learned.

1. It’s not how much time we take off, but how we take time off.

What are you really doing when you’re not busy with anything work-related, goal-related, purpose-related, whatever-you-are-pursuing-related? Are you binge-watching a show on Netflix to numb your mind? Is your free time filled with escapism? Or are you doing something that brings genuine joy and fulfillment so that you have energy to tackle the challenges that come in (professional) life? Are you doing things that are good for you? Most of the time all I need is a 30 minute break of doing something that takes my mind to a completely different place and that gives me enough fuel to work another half day or more when I’m jaded. Take care of yourself in your “free time”! Mentally, physically, spiritually, and everything in between. Identify which activities are good, and which ones can be minimized or eliminated altogether.

2. Don’t multitask. On anything. Ever.

Okay, do your best not to. I know it’s inevitable at sometimes, like almost every time I work out, but it’s truly miraculous how much more you can get done focusing on ONE thing. This doesn’t exclusively concern professional tasks, but anything that requires attention. This point actually deserves a separate post on its own, so I’ll save that for later.

3. Find people that are your kind of weird. Get rid of everyone else.

You know what’s a serious waste of time? Being with the wrong people. Let’s define “wrong” on a larger scale of things. Individuals who don’t contribute to your happiness and wellbeing. People who don’t inspire you and truly support your goals and endeavors. People who don’t GET you. There are few things more draining in life than being with people who don’t speak the same (mental) language as you. Often times this even goes unnoticed because of unconscious old habits and outdated patterns.

That comfort zone is a bitch.

However, if you’re with the right people (right for you), you’ll not only feel good, happy, and wholesome - but, again, it will give you so much energy for later.

Your energy is your time.

By being with the right folks, you’re actually doubling up on your time. This will help you live more productively, efficiently, inspired, and more.

We are who we are with. We are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. Choose them wisely. Do they have similar values and life goals as you? Do they make you feel as though you belong?

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So...What do you guys think? Can you relate to my discoveries of the illusion of "not having enough time"? This is only a fraction of a discussion I could open.