As I creep toward the ripe old age of 30, although I am only 27 now, a sense of overwhelming pressure hovers over me. I’m getting older. I know that and I have to accept it. But what really bothers me right now is time. There never seems to be enough to accomplish everything that I’d like to get done in a day, not without having to sacrifice it for tasks I really don’t want to be doing.
I have a huge backlog of video games, movies, TV shows, books, and music that I would love to catch up on. There just never seems to be enough time to catch up. As the days go by, more books are written; more movies are filmed; more video games are released; and more music is produced.
Not just that, but technology advances and new gadgets arrive in stores that people, like me, feel pressured to purchase. But is there ever enough time to enjoy it all? Can anyone ever catch up?
If I didn’t have to work or go to school, I might have plenty of time each day to spend doing hobbies, but that’s not living and it won’t bring happiness. I could die tomorrow never having caught up on all the things I wanted to do. In the end, it doesn’t matter.
It goes beyond that though. Spending my days busy at work or school leaves me with less time for seeing my friends and family. Being with the people you love trumps all physical objects you could ever own, that’s what is really important. The memories I hold of places I’ve been, people I’ve met, and things I’ve done on this wonderful planet are totally better than any movie or video game.
This isn’t about personal possessions or life experiences in particular. I’m talking about time. Time is very valuable and what you do with it is your choice, hopefully what you choose to do with your time will be worth it in the end.
A bucket list is a great thing to have, however I don’t think anyone will ever be able to do all the things they want to. I know I can at least be happy with the things I have done, in hopes that I will have the opportunity and 27 more years to accomplish even more out of life.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned that will help me get the most out of my life, it’s that we need to set goals for ourselves, realistic goals that are within arm’s reach.
Small goals that can be met with ease are nice, but a nice part of life is challenging yourself to attain goals that you can actually feel accomplished about.
It’s important to savor the moments that in life you might not be able to enjoy later. Why am I worrying about getting older? Why can’t I just live in the now? I’m a college student today, eager to graduate, but I might miss the college experience when I move on, so, why live with regret?
As much as I loved being a child roaming the neighborhood with friends, my childhood is over and I won’t be a kid again, so why pout about it? One day I look forward to having my own children and watching them run around like I once did. Life doesn’t have to be as stressful as we make it out to be. Set goals for yourself and try to manage your time so that you can enjoy it.
Devote some time in the day to go for a walk or visit with friends or family. Set up a day during the week where you and your significant other can spend time together. Life’s too short, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make it last.