“I wasted an hour.”*
Too often in the industrialized world we’re so focused on productivity—filling every tiny second with something that will lead to something else—that we forget the importance of time.
The true importance. Not as something to be quantified, managed or exchanged, but as something that’s useful, flexible and wonderful.
Too often we don’t understand how much so.
Taking time to chat with a friend isn’t wasting time.
Getting lost in a fascinating article or new technology isn’t wasting time.
Strolling to nowhere in particular on a brisk autumn (spring, summer, winter) day isn’t wasting time.
Enjoying a nap, reading a funny book, eating a tasty treat, doodling, daydreaming isn’t wasting time.
It’s savouring it.
It’s allowing yourself to be fully present. To breathe in the air, to enjoy laughter, to let your mind wander or engage in a challenge, to partake in a conversation or relish silence. Savouring time increases creativity.
Sometimes time isn’t savoured it’s merely used. It’s always used for something.
Taking time out of your schedule to make your voice heard isn’t wasting time.
The outcome doesn’t matter. You used what time you had and did something. That counts.
So utilize and savour as many moments as you can.
They don’t last forever.
Image copyright © Caleb Stokes /Unsplash