Spending Our Time Intentionally
I was in the grocery store the other day when I realized that filling our carts is a great analogy for filling our time with what matters most. There is finite room in our carts and in our lives, and it’s imperative that we fill them with care. It’s easy to get distracted in the aisles, enticed by a display or sale or maybe something that allows us a shortcut even though we know it’s not healthy or sustainable. In this analogy our cart is our time, and our groceries are how we spend our time. When we fill our carts with things we don’t love or need we spend above our budget and leave less to spend on the things we really desire. In the same way, when we busy ourselves with doing tasks, buying things, or spending time catering to people who are not our priority we leave less room for the things that matter. While the things on our ‘shopping list’ may differ greatly, we all deserve a curated life which puts focus on those things that bring us joy and meaning.
Learning to curate your life and live with intention first requires discipline and I’ve certainly had to learn the hard way. Especially recently, with much time left at home for days on end, it’s easy to let hours slip away watching one too many shows or scrolling mindlessly on my phone. My first step was to physically write down what I cared about most. Yes, with a pen and in a journal. I highly recommend it! Although you’re welcome to journal on your phone or computer as well if that’s your style. Being as specific as possible, what is obligatory, necessary, imperative, mandatory, needed in your life? I was surprised at how I had to dig deep to reconnect with who I am and what’s most important in my life.
Our Own Dreams and Desires
We spend time surrounded by our peers, colleagues, family, friends, and amidst TV, books, magazines, social media, and streaming platforms. They expose us to others’ desires and in the midst of our consumption of information throughout our days we may become confused. I have stopped to wonder many things on my journey to live more in line with what matters to me. Do I really want to grow in this career or is that someone else’s dream? Do I really need clothes from this brand or is it because of the relentless advertisements popping up in my feed? Am I doing the things that make me innately happy, or am I buying into what makes my friends happy? Writing my list has clarified where I have overloaded my cart and what to put back on the shelf. Life’s too short for a pantry full of stuff you don’t like.
So let’s stop keeping up with the Jones’ and start making room for what matters most.
