Time.
We all have the same 24 hours in a day, yet for some reason some of us are able to achieve more than others in just a single day. Why is that?
Why do we (as humans) default to “I don’t have the time”?
Why do we think right off the bat so negatively and assume we aren’t able to make the time?
I live in Campbell right off 17, for those of you that don’t live in Silicon Valley that means that with no traffic I can get to Santa Cruz (famous beach town) in about 25 minutes with no traffic. I love going to the Santa Cruz area and exploring the beaches. There’s just something about waves and the ocean that just gives me new energy. Now that it’s summer, people are flocking to the beach and the traffic is nuts. This happens every year. If you want to go to Santa Cruz you’re going to have to head out there before 10am if you want to beat the traffic. My quick 25 minute drive to the beach turns into an hour and a half.
What does any of this have to do with time anyway?
Last Saturday I decided I wanted to do some final edits of my first book. Rather than just doing it in my back patio, on the couch, kitchen table, or worst a coffee shop… I decided to head out to Santa Cruz and mark up a copy on the beach. Now, this is the important part of the story. It was about 8am or so and I was about to head out and then noticed I needed to run the dishwasher. I’m kind of a clean freak and also the dishwasher makes a lot of noise so I rather run it when I’m not home. So, I started the dishwasher finished packing up my stuff and headed out.
My journey this time took me to New Brighton Beach. This is one of my favorite beaches because it isn’t a tourist trap and has a real nature, quiet feel to it. I sat on the beach, did my edits, watched the waves come and go and just thought about life. I had an amazing podcast I was listening to with Joe Rogan and Kevin Smith in which the two really explored life and life’s purpose (go figure if you know these two characters). Anyway, I was there for a good amount of time and needed to come back as I was going to meet some friends in SF later that day. This is when it gets interesting…
I was driving back and just smiling to myself. Not because I like to see others in traffic but I was driving back and everyone heading out to the beach was stuck in traffic not moving at all. It’s just one of those things that makes you happy… like “Yes, this is why I wake up early and head out”.
I opened the door to my house and heard that sound… the sound of the dishwasher. The digital display read “38”. Now, my dishwasher runs for about 2 hours. So, that means I was able to go to the beach and back, learn and question some things in my life from a podcast, and do edits on book while getting the beach experience all before the dishwasher could even finish it’s cycle.
Here’s the point. We have a ton of TIME. We just don’t realize it. I (and maybe you as well) need to open up my eyes, breathe a bit, and relax because there is time. We just need to prioritize our time to get the things that matter most to fit in. It’s how we choose to spend our time that matters … and it’s exactly that… we (as humans) have the power to choose.
A dishwasher isn’t so lucky.
A dishwasher is a machine; it does not get to choose how it spends it’s time. It runs it’s cycle when we decide it’s time to get some clean dishes.
You can choose how you spend your time; and my hope with this post is for you to start being intentional with your time.
Here’s a worksheet that can help you track how you spend your time, to be more mindful about where you choose to spend your time so ultimately you can spend the time working on what matters most to you (with friends/family, exploring, working on your biz, etc).
Swag On,
SwagSam