I Don't Have Time!

This is not a true statement.  The truth is that we don’t want to prioritize whatever it is we are saying we don’t have time for...

It is fine not to want to prioritize something, there are plenty of good reasons to do that or not do that, as the case may be.  But saying, “I don’t have the time” is rarely true. You do have the time, we all do.  There is time in the day for everything important to us.  It is how we choose to spend that time that is the game changer.

When we say “I don’t have time” what we are really saying is that I am not going to prioritize this right now.  And that is fine, own it.  Own that you currently, for reasons clear and perhaps, unclear, you do not want to give of yourself and your time to this endeavor, person, pursuit or whatever.  You just don’t want to, or you are afraid to.  But own that you don’t want to!  Do not just cop out with, “I simply do not have the time...” We all have the time.  We spend time recklessly so often because we are frequently not sure what to do with all the time we have.

Own how you are spending your time.  Scrolling idly on your phone for hours...well that is time you could be applying to other things in your life: your relationships, your work, writing that book, starting a podcast, running, working out, spending quality time with someone you know and love.  There is time. And it is the most precious thing we have to offer in this life.  

When we give our our time, we are giving of ourselves.  And for things that enrich our own lives, it is pretty damning when we refuse to give the time to ourselves for our own well being.  It is easy to get lost in the minutia.  It is easy to think that other things are more important.  However, if you ask yourself the following question, daily, I find that it helps me to prioritize the things that I feel add value to my life, “what am I going to give my life to today?”  I find that when I ask myself that question in the morning, what I do with the day is a no brainer.  I immediately train myself to be present and give my time and attention to the things that I value most in life.

I also believe it is important to audit your life, take an inventory of who you are spending time with, where you are spending the time and what is the result?  Time is a most precious resource.  And it, like water, will find its own level.  And it will slip away just as easily as water through your fingers.

I give myself a few hours every morning to do the things I feel are most important to my functioning at my best:  writing, inventory, meditation and prayer.  The whole process usually takes about 2 hours.  Sometimes a little less and sometimes a little more.  And I have given myself this time every day for years.  It is the foundation of my life and I am not sure who I would be without it.  I have done it when I had to be at work at 9 and I have done it when I had to be at work at 6 am.  It is a non-negotiable in my life.  It is probably the best use of time in my whole day.

It is kind of like what I learned in recovery...the simple amount of time I give to ensuring I align my will with God’s will every day, provides me a pretty stable and wonderful basis for a sober life.  I give up an hour or so every day, and the life I get is appreciably better than the life I led when I didn’t give recovery that kind of time daily.  Sure I had more time back in the day, and I choose to spend it fucking up my life and the lives of others, not as an intention but as a byproduct of just me living life.  I wasn’t trying to do that, I just did.

I have a lot of things going on now that I am giving my time to:  going to publish my book this year FINALLY, starting some new coaching programs to help people, starting a podcast in March, taking care of things for my mom in the wake of my dad’s passing, making some decisions about what I want my life to look like in the future, taking care of my body, addressing ongoing addiction issues and becoming willing to seek new avenues of help and assistance.  But no matter what I have going on, I do not alter my morning routine.  I give this time to God and myself every day and it all seems to work out.

What I have found in this life, is that there is always time for the things I value.  And if you want to see what you value, look how you spend your time.  I do my best to stay out of the victim trap of helplessness with thoughts and narrative that say things like, “I don’t have time,” or “I am too busy...”  That is almost never correct, what is always more accurate for me is “I am not going to prioritize that right now...” Which is a lot harder to say but aligns more with my actual reality.

We have the time.  What we all usually have issue with is owning that we are in charge with how we spend it...

Today, I will spend my time in prayer and meditation, I will take care of my body, mind and spirit.  I will spend some quality time with my mom seeking spiritual guidance, I will take care of my pets and home.  I will get myself all gussied up to go celebrate the union of two people who love each other and are celebrating finding each other in this world, while also celebrating recovery and all its miracles.  I have the time today.  And in this day, I know exactly who and how I want to spend it.

Living my life, one moment at a time, grateful for all of the swirling messes, calamities and intermittent joys that just come as a matter of course when you are present and show up for your life today...

Again, still...