From Time Management to Time Cherishing: My Journey
I cherish the day
I won’t go astray
I won’t be afraid
Being busy is something I’ve experienced for most of my life. It’s just how I am for the most part. If I don’t move my body then I go to sleep. Sometimes this works to my advantage others to my detriment. Regardless I’ve shifted to wanting to be less busy and able to use my time wisely.
This post is not about some productivity hack that will help you do more at a snap of a finger. It’s a peek into the busyness of our lives and how we can rethink it.
Staying busy or active purely for the sake of it is like living life like a fly. You can zip anywhere and everywhere at a moment’s notice. Great for flexibility but terrible for true motion. A fly moving zigzagging around is effectively making noise and to us humans that noise can be annoying. What happens to annoying flies? They get swatted.
The swat usually comes in the form of a major life moment or traumatic event that forces us to slow down and stop moving so much. But why are we constantly moving? There’s no one answer but I can list a few reasons why.
- We are physically programmed to do something all day from the start of the school system. You wake up early and you work until the evening. When you get a job you do the same thing.
- We are socially influenced by internet gurus and businessmen to be productive and maximize all of our time. It’s the loudest message about how to be successful; time management and delegation.
- We are overstimulated and constantly bombarded with messaging from advertisers, politicians, analysts, influencers, etc. There’s too much to do and so many voices to listen to.
Physical programming is something you learn to break free from when you explore entrepreneurship. I’m not saying this is the only way but it’s an option to learn what schedule works for you. Having the privilege several times to freelance or work freely helped me find my best hours of operation. I have bursts of energy early in the morning but this is the best time for me to be introspective. This is when I can write the best because my mind is clear. Around 11 am-12 pm is when I’m fully alert this is the best time for me to tackle my bigger projects or important work. 4 pm is when I need to eat or take a nap depending on when I started my day because I tire out. Then I’m no longer productive unless work late at night heading into the next day. The night owl hours are perfect for me because no one is up and I can be focused without distraction.
With my in-between time, I don’t fill it up with busy work because I know I won’t be efficient or effective. I don’t always have the luxury to work on my own clock but I use that awareness to help me move with purpose and not like a fly.
The social influence about productivity and maximizing time can only be escaped if you unplug from the internet more than you consume from it. Most people won’t do it so you have to find ways to cater your internet experience toward different topics. One nugget that I ingested recently is that time management is a capitalist concept, and time should be cherished not managed. I don’t hate capitalism, I’m a capitalist, but I love this gem. Having the view of cherishing your time seems romantic. We only get one life that we know of. Is it better to spend your time doing the things you are supposed to do or what you enjoy? The answer is a mix of both but the concept remains the same, we should enjoy our time in this life because we don’t get any of it back. Money is an infinite resource but time is not.
Finally, overstimulation falls in line with unplugging from the internet. Infinite scrolls, reels, TikTok, and Tweets are all damaging to the reward centers in our brains. We may not realize it but our brain is operating like it’s addicted to drugs. With each swipe up to see the next piece of content we are searching for that next big high. Hoping the next experience will overly inspire us, make us laugh till we fart, or compel us to be upset and voice our opinion. It’s a destructive game that keeps us coming back for more.
There’s so much beauty in the earth and in our present space. Yet we are wrapped up in a digital world that we can’t physically interact with. I’m guilty of being a gamer so I understand the struggle at times. The digital world is interesting, you see things you may never see in your current environment but that’s the trap. Others are sharing the beauty of their world and consumers forget or lose curiosity about where they are now. Take time to desensitize yourself, go for a walk, feel your carpet, and hug your loved ones. There’s a giant world that exists outside of the internet explore it.
Reclaim the joy in your life and cherish each moment, don’t fill it up with senseless noise.
I’m Eric the founder of Galacticcc — our mission is to connect businesses + creators to products and information when they need it the most. I teach business, marketing, design, and video/film classes. Please be patient as we narrow down our offers to who we best can serve.
