Productivity differs from person to person and almost everyone looks to cram more life into each day. We strategically plan our days either on paper or within our complex minds. I often think about how I spend my time and I observe how others spend theirs. Then one question changed my life. My college baseball coach asked our whole team if we “invest our time or if we spend our time?”
This question hit me and I started to investigate my production throughout each day. It was clear to me that the days really do fly by and often bleed into one another. Although I get a lot done within each twenty-four hour window, I began to take notice of all the time I waste. Whether it was time on social media or watching TV, I wanted to wipe out every second that wouldn’t be bettering me for the future ahead.
So, I mentally handled the “spending time” part of the equation but I needed to apply the “investing time” component. I then took a few days to chew on this and spotted the activities that would increase my skills for the unknown path ahead. I realized that activities such as reading, writing, listening to podcasts, and reflecting on my days were all time I had invested. These were metaphorically put in the “bank” and would enhance my life going forward. Not only would they make me happy, but I was investing my time into subjects that I would later dive into.
Although I am far from being a “full-time investor” of the time I am given, I ask myself everyday if I am investing my time wisely and I challenge you to do the same. It is the time we invest that we become closer to ourselves and near fulfillment. We all have the opportunity to positively utilize our time in order to improve the world around us. Life is essentially a flight of stairs, we just have to invest our time and build the steps along the way. Let’s all start being mindful of our time and take it upon ourselves to increase productivity. We as individuals deserve to live life, not just spend it.
~Thank you for reading~
Originally published at medium.com