"Actions speak louder than words"- the phrase we've heard a billion and one times about how to live our lives and read the cues of others, but just like most motivational quotes… actually living by it is a whole other story. This one in particular has become a recent theme in my life when I realized I wasn't using my time well. At all.
There came a point when I realized that I was wasting a lot of time: on social media, watching mindless Netflix, sleeping in all the time, always grabbing quick food to go. We all do these things now and then, and there's nothing wrong with that. The problem for me was, no matter what excuses I could come up with to justify these habits, they were just that: excuses. I complained about wanting to be more productive, more active, healthier. And I had all the control to make those changes.
The way we spend our moments throughout the day says something- not just to other people, but most importantly, to ourselves. What are you telling yourself when you don't eat right and deprive yourself of sleep, exercise and productivity? You're saying, I don't value myself enough to make the most of my time. You're saying, I don't value myself enough to take care of me.
How you value your time is a clear indicator of how you value yourself.
Hearing this advice from someone I met at the time, I was blown away. It made so much sense. I hadn't been telling myself that I valued and respected my time enough to spend it well.
Being intentional with my time has opened up so many more opportunities in my life and made me feel infinitely more productive and accomplished each day. They say the most successful people wake up early and I believe it. I'm a morning person myself and I've found that following a better routine can make a tremendous difference in my days. Of course, there is a balance to life and using time intentionally doesn't necessarily mean you have to be "productive" or working all the time. It just means that you're paying attention, you're in touch with yourself. You know why you're doing what you do and what it will bring you.
Hold yourself accountable. Use your time intentionally. And please, please, don't waste a minute.
