Time is our most precious resource. Time on earth, time with our loves, time doing things we enjoy … it matters the most.
The best way to make more time for those things is to stop doing things that don’t matter, that we don’t really care about and that don’t make a big difference in our lives. I know, it sounds obvious and yet still elusive, so I’ll be specific.
Last year, I shared 9 things I refuse to make time for anymore including …
1. Rewriting the past
Even if I hoped it had turned out differently, it didn’t. Even if I keep wondering what would have happened if I had said or did something else, it’s over. I don’t want to spend time running every possible scenario through my head. Onward.
2. Hangovers
I never have to waste a morning or an entire day feeling hungover. I found the ultimate hangover remedy. It’s not drinking a glass of water for every drink you have or some other slick trick. Removing alcohol prevents hangovers 100% of the time.
3. Explaining or proving myself
I’ve jumped through all the hoops and climbed all the ladders and what was promised wasn’t waiting at the top. Instead it was lonely, empty and disappointing. The only person who has to be ok with what’s going on in my life and in my heart is me. I’ll make decisions people don’t like without explanation instead of people pleasing my way into convincing myself I have it all wrong. I want everyone to be well and safe and happy but I refuse to spend any more time making sure my choices are pleasing to everyone.
3 More Things I Won’t Make Time For Anymore
When you are doing things that aren’t serving you, you don’t just lose the time doing the thing. For instance, two years ago, I stopped weighing myself. It only took a minute or so a day to get on the scale, but I’d spend more time during the day reflecting on that number (not in a good way). For me, the whole thing was a total waste of time. Deciding not to weigh myself anymore gave me back time and attention.
Since I shared the items above, I’ve come up with a few more things I won’t be making time for in an effort to spend my minutes and moments on what I want to spend them on.
1. Finishing books, movies or other entertainment that aren’t entertaining.
If you think about all of the books you’ve finished, movies you’ve sat through or TV series that you’ve kept watching long after you were done being interested, you might be able to calculate some lost hours (or weeks, months or more). You can give yourself permission to quit reading a book and to stop entertaining yourself with things that aren’t entertaining you.
2. Predicting the future.
We will go to great lengths to avoid the discomfort of uncertainty. That often includes sleepless nights or long worry sessions trying to figure out what’s coming next and all of the possible scenarios. I know this one will take some practice paying attention to when I feel lost in resisting uncertainty. Letting go is a shift back to the present moment. While that doesn’t come naturally, it’s not hard to come back.
One of the best ways to come out of uncertainty and into the present moment is to do the 5 things practice. I’m not sure who created this, but it’s a simple and powerful way to be here now. Notice 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste. Welcome back.
3. F.O.M.O.
With everything that is going on in this big, beautiful world, you are going to miss out on something. FOMO (fear of missing out) signals a lack of engagement. If you are worried about what you are missing, you aren’t finding the most meaningful parts of what’s happening right now. Letting go of FOMO means abandoning the need to catch up, keep up, and measure up to connect with what’s right in front of you.
When you think there’s no time for what you really want, see if there are things you can simply stop doing.
My list of things I won’t spend time on will get longer as I recognize how other ways I’m spending time isn’t serving me. Your list may be different than mine but I hope by sharing this idea that we don’t have to things just because we’ve always done them, you’ll give yourself permission to make a list of things you won’t be making time for anymore too.
P.S. Here are a few more ways to create more time for what you really want.