I can tell when I’m passionate about something, when I truly care about something. I give it my all. I have the “all or nothing” personality. It bites me in the ass sometimes (a lot of the times), and it also allows me to know myself better. I know when something or someone is worth my time, because I prioritize it/him/her in my life. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I hear the phrase/excuse “I don’t have time.” You do have time. I have time. We both have the same amount of time. What differs between you and I and our time, is how we choose to spend it, how we prioritize it. When I hear the phrase “I don’t have time,” or when I use the phrase “I don’t have time,” I really hear, “It’s not a priority of mine.” And guess what?? That’s totally okay!
Confused about the title? Welcome to my brain. There was a movie J.T. was in back in 2011 that I just watched this past New Year’s (it’s fine, I already know I am decades behind in movie watching game, so six years is nothin’). Anyway, J.T. was in this action movie called In Time. It wasn’t bad, creative story, but now, whenever I think of “not having enough time,” or “running out of time,” my mind jumps back to me crashing on a couch with all my friends with one of the guys in the room bellowing out in a SouthPark-esque voice “Justin Timberlake is… (pause for effect) running… out of time.”
Like I said, welcome to my brain.
Back to time and prioritization.
The thing about being a free individual, is that you have the right to choose how you spend your time. Excellent, right? Once I started being mindful of my use of the phrase, I started feeling like I had more time to do the things important to me and my well-being, like spending quality time with my friends, studying for my nutrition and training classes, etc.
Now, keep in mind, some things you just have to make time for, even it doesn’t seem like a priority of yours like paying the bills, standing in line at the DMV, some might even argue exercising (I personally don’t relate to that one). Look more carefully though, and even these tasks give you insight into your values and goals.
“Forcing” yourself to exercise daily? Maybe you hate it, but because you do it anyway, your health is a priority of yours. Maybe you do make the excuse of “not having enough time” to exercise, so then maybe being in the best shape/health isn’t that big of a priority for you. Maybe you value family time more, or you love, love, love your job and can’t bear the though of spending 30 minutes away. That is totally fine! As long as it makes you happy and content. As long as it is enhancing your life and state of being.
Still tripped up on the DMV example? Do lend me your ear, that is, if you have more time to spare…
Why are you at the DMV? Your license is expired? You want to be able to legally drive again? You value following the law and being a good citizen? You value your independence and being able to rely solely on yourself for transportation is in line with that value? You value efficiency and timeliness, therefore can’t rationalize spending 30 more minutes walking or waiting every day for the bus versus the one time investment of a 2-5 hour wait at the DMV? Take your pick. What did you just learn about yourself?
Being aware of when I use the “not having enough time” excuse has really helped me discover my values and personal goals. It has helped me identify where to distribute my eggs. It’s even okay if I put them all in one basket, as long as that basket is where I want to devote all my time.
Try putting this awareness in place in your own life and please let me know how it goes.
E-mail me, DM me, Instagram me, leave a comment below, etc.
I’d love to hear feedback.
Just… don’t run out of time like Justin.
peace & love,
Emily
Moving Mountains Wellness 