Part of my excitement with the recent overhaul of this blog (aside from finally telling you what my real name is!) lies in the eventual transition to turn The Happy Homeowner into more a lifestyle blog. While I’ll always have the content here firmly rooted in personal finance because doing so is a passion of mine, I wanted to make sure I provided a creative outlet for my hobbies and interests as well. From time to time–today being a perfect example–I plan to break from the typical mold of personal experiences and educational posts in order to challenge my readers to take a deep, introspective look at a various theme or topic.
Which brings me to the topic of today’s post: Time.
If there’s one thing in life we absolutely cannot create/make/find/buy more of, it’s time. With my recent job transition, I’ve found myself with an abundance of daytime hours that can be filled in literally hundreds of ways. Do I write more? Concentrate my efforts 100% on the job search? Finish as many DIY projects as possible? Take a nap in the middle of the day just because I can? For someone who’s had 9-5 responsibilities for as long as I can remember, this new found “freedom” is as liberating as it is terrifying.
But alas, deciding how I’ll spend my time is not the focus of this post. Instead, it’s more about stressing the importance of choosing to spend your time in a way that means the most to you. A way to use your time effectively to reach your goals, dreams, and aspirations. A way to ensure you can confidently say you’re using your time well.
Today, I want to challenge you to really take a hard look at how you’re spending your time…
Are you using it wisely?
Are you filling it with what matters most to you?
Are you appreciating the little things in life?
Are you taking the time to tell (and show) those you love exactly how you feel about them?
Are you balancing your professional and personal time commitments?
On my wall, I have a framed quote, “Make today ridiculously amazing” that I printed from . The wall is part of the hallway/entrance area of my home, so I walk by it countless times each day. What I’ll leave you with is something I’ve grown accustomed to asking myself periodically throughout the day since finding this quote (in an effort to make sure I’m spending my precious time wisely):
Are you making this day ridiculously amazing?
How are you spending your time lately? Are there any changes you wish to make/are making?
Photo credit: jamiesrabbits
As much as I hate to confess this, time-management is not my strong suit. It's not that I don't know how to manage my time wisely, I simply don't do it on a regular basis. However, I'm not really stressing about it (although I probably should). You've really got me thinking about this, and it's time to make some drastic changes.
I think it's a constant balancing act for everyone! I've recently found myself wasting hours on unimportant web stuff when I should be writing and getting this blog up to speed with where I want it. The thing is, I know I need the break after weathering a bunch of random, stressful storms so I'm allowing myself a bit more freedom. The caveat is that I have a deadline for the slacking and have a plan for getting back into gear. I hope whatever you choose to do works well for your situation!
I'm working on my blog a lot lately but I'm pretty sure it will pay off down the road so I am ok spending some extra time on it right now. If it ever becomes a black hole and nothing comes out of it I'll have to cut it off but right now I'm having a lot of fun!
Such a great perspective to have! I'm sure your blog will be continue to be quite successful so this sacrifice you're making now will definitely be worth it
Time management is a challenge for most people. And the plethora of smartphone apps and the online 'social' scene makes that even harder.
I know! I'm going to be getting a smartphone for the first time if I get this new job I'm waiting to hear back about–I'll certainly need a plan for how I avoid the plethora of app time sucks!