Appreciating Time...

I spend a lot of time dwelling on the future. I'm a planner, always have been, always will. Sometimes I think I actually enjoy planning things more than I even enjoy doing them.

I have a vary difficult time "living in the moment". I put it in quotes mostly because I don't even really know what that means to me. I'm here, I'm living, but am I "in the moment"? Probably not. My mind is usually racing to the next thing I need to do, I'm often a few steps ahead of myself. The things I need to do now? Not too interested. I'm busy planning the next vacation, the next week or the next project. Sometimes it's a miracle I get anything done.

A few years ago I took a little training seminar for work, and one of the first sessions was about time management. At first I didn't think it could mean much to me, but for my personal life I think it could be very meaningful.

I think a lot of people are familiar with the concept of putting your money towards things you value, kind of a "put your money where your mouth is" type idea. In the same respect, I think I need to start focusing on putting my time where my mouth is. (Time is money right?!)

Realistically, on a typical week, I probably spend at least 20 hours watching TV, including weekends. Some of it, is watching shows I love, but the vast majority of it is just mindless TV. Of course some level of relaxation is good, but I think I'm way past that. There are things I want to do with my time! Craft projects to pursue, family to visit, shopping to do! All that TV watching is really getting in the way. Yet somehow, I get home and I plop myself down on the couch and watch TV for 3 hours a night and suddenly, it's bed time. What a waste of life.

I wasn't always like this, I swear. I spent College working a part (almost full) time job and easily finished all my school work. I when through Grad School with a 20+ hour a week job, no problem. When I have had a million things that simply HAVE to get done, I make it happen. I know it sounds crazy, but working 40 hours a week and having all this "spare" time is really making me lazy.

Looking at the numbers, 20 hours!? of shitty TV?!, really makes me think of all the work I could be doing in that time. I could have had a million projects completed in those hours, hundreds of dollars in crafting projects (well, if I actually sold them), tons of wonderful meals cooked, books read, hours of quality time, you name it.

That's it... I'm going to put my time where my mouth is and stop being so damn lazy. As Nike would say, Just Do It! I'm not sure how that is supposed to sell me shoes... but whatever. :)