Graphic created by Evan Brooks using Wix.
A four letter word of human creation that can mean many things at once, “time” is ever-present. It is a resource that we often take for granted but as it passes, we somehow get wiser and less aware of its presence. Time is the measurement by which we set our lives as we box out hours to a given task, sometimes forgetting about the seconds that make up each moment. As it marches on, we grow up, we degrade and choose paths that may or may not work for us. It is and always will be a constant struggle to fill, but as long we are enjoying the minutes that we experience, then I believe everything is going to be alright.
Often, we get told what we should do with time, only agreeing because we do not know ourselves. Frankly, we would rather pour time away like water down a drain, or watch it wash away like sand on a beach. Time is something we all want an unlimited supply of when we see that there is little left, and sometimes we wish to give it away to those we care about.
Time allows you to see where you once were and draw a point to where you currently are — in other words, you may change professions or switch out individuals in your circle, but the memory will always be there. And it is perfectly acceptable to live in the past for a moment, as long as we do not dwell in it; we have so much time left to look forward to. Time, and thus, life, is a series of moments that we get to create.
I understand that being efficient is not always on our mind — we have a list of a thousand things we would like to get done — and by the end of the day you are sometimes lucky to have completed one thing. A strong will and focus is often required to overcome the urge to relax and watch your favorite show. But by putting down the distractions and picking up the work that needs to be done, we can better control our moments spent.
Relaxation and personal time is needed. We can not function at full capability all of the time, but we can manage our energy so we get more done than we previously thought we could. Sometimes, this takes planning out your day, making hard choices you’d rather not make and knowing when it is time to take a break.
I am not saying that your time should be managed by intense scheduling so that you can check off all of your bucket list items. But should you create a schedule for your day, then make it one that you will enjoy. Make a schedule that would be your ideal day, then execute that plan. This does not mean hitting the mark every day, but rather working to be better in each moment you can.
Time is an invaluable resource that we should take seriously and always keep on our minds. This is especially true in regards to your career, as well as making sure you contact those you care about often enough while you can.
If you believe you have wasted some of your time already, work to ensure you do not waste any more of it, in your opinion. What may seem like wasted time to one person may seem like time well spent to another. So find what you enjoy, ensure your passionate activities are well taken care of, move with a purpose and act on the opportunities you have available to you now and are interested in.
Time is an entity that we have created yet still are trying to understand. It remains only visible in our lived moments. It is easy to understand how long a week, a month or a year is, but it is not so comprehensible to visualize a life. Enjoy each moment, live each second and don’t overwhelm yourself what has or will happen.
Evan Brooks is a third-year Business Management major with minors in Economics & Civic and Professional Leadership. EB916132@wcupa.edu