Time well used, time well spent?
I’ve been thinking recently about the kind of choices we can make about time.
Do you go with the default…
The pre-programmed…
The accidental non-decision…
Do you yield to inertia?
Of course, you have to earn a living, you have to pay your bills.
But can you make a conscious, deliberate decision to spend your days in a way that lights up your life.
Watch the video…
And put your thoughts and comments below. This conversation is worthwhile…
If you’re in your 20s or your 30s, you may not want to listen to this. As you get a bit older and you’re in your 40s or maybe you’re in your 50s maybe you’re even in your 60s, you may really want to pay attention to what I’m about to say.
About 4 years ago my mom had a stroke and suddenly in a blink of an eye, in about 30 seconds’ time, she stopped being able to do all the things that she loved doing. She stopped being able to do the things that gave her purpose. That lasted for four years, four really long years for her. A few weeks ago, she died, she passed on. If you lost either of your parents, you know that this really gets you thinking about your own life. It got me thinking about the notion of time and about how much time that there really is.
So here’s what I came to and this is not a new idea. But this is it, this here, right here, right now. This is it. Whatever your beliefs are about the afterlife or whether there is an afterlife or not, on earth in the 3D world, this is your time and you can use it well or you can use it now as well. Let’s talk about work. If you work only 8 hours a day and only 5 days a week, that’s about 40 hours a week and after 50 weeks it’s about 2000 hours a year. So ask yourself this, do you want to spend that time doing something that just doesn’t matter for you? Sure, you’ve got to earn a living, you’ve got bills to pay.
If you have a family and you want to feed them, and maybe you want to provide for your future, you don’t want to let anything get in the way of that. But there are hundreds of ways to do it. There are lots and lots of ways that you can do that. But passion, purpose, the point of your existence, this is what really matters. Whatever it is that you do, you’ve got to make it worthwhile to get up in the morning. It’s got to matter however it is that you define what matters. Now don’t lie to yourself on this one. If you’re not sure whether something does or doesn’t matter to you, I can tell you right now without giving another seconds thought. That means it does not qualify, that it does not matter.
I want you to start thinking about this, today, right now. Ask yourself the question and answer it. What really matters to you? What would have been worth spending your time on if suddenly you didn’t have any more time to spend? Because it’s just as easy to pay your bills, it’s just as easy to build your fortune doing something that lights up your life as something that doesn’t. So look, this is isn’t one of those do what you love and the money will follow things. I can’t promise that. But I can promise you that if you invest your passion into your purpose and then you do all the other strategies and tactics that I’ve been teaching you and telling you to use. This will be a worthwhile journey for you. I am pretty sure at this point that the journey is far more important than when you reach the destination.
This, by the way, is one of the great reasons to have someone in your corner with you. Someone will ask you the tough questions about your life, your business, your focus. So check in with yourself right now. Make sure that you’re on the right path. Make you’re on that path you want to be on. Not some default that you got on by accident or because it was easy. Make sure you are on the path that matters.
If you have any thoughts or comments, please share them on the blog. I’d love to talk to you about this.
Paul
Yes! As some one starting a new career/obsession/love at the age of 55 I definitely needed to look at the big picture to fuel change and risk.
The universe works in wonderous ways. I have been thinking about my life and where it's going and whether it's making me happy or not and your message came about at the right time.
Veronica, it DOES that work that way, doesn’t it? I find that the more I find this, the more of it I find. Skeptics will say it’s confirmation bias, like when you start looking for something you find it. And it well could be, but I prefer to think the universe is on my side.
So sorry to hear about the loss of your Mother Paul…If I may, I understand the hurt, mine is gone also.
Your video really hit a note, as in this past year I loss a very close friend. This in itself, made me realize how much more I want to do with my life. Make the most of the time that I have. Live my passions with no excuses or regrets.
With that said…I finally took the time this year to renew a long lost passion of mine – Designing.
For some reason, I had let it be, just using whatever was necessary to build websites and what not…All the time knowing that I could do much more.
Well, that changed this year. I took the time in these past months to learn PSE10 in full, and have now moved on to Photoshop CS6.
Am I happy? Yep – this is my passion. I feel strength in my choice…And somehow, I just know it’s going to work!
Thanks for the good words your video was a ray of sunshine!
Christine, it’s an old story… Find your passion, live your purpose, and everything gets easier. And for a bonus, the world seems – my favorite word lately… Shinier.
I’ve been thinking a lot about this very subject. That’s why I started taking guitar lessons last week. I need that away from the computer time to let my mind start being creative again!
Congratulations! Are you a guitar player, or is this something brand new?
I have guitar players in my family, love music and decided it was time to act on this dream (even if I’m 30 something years late!).
Paul,
I am sorry to hear about the passing of your mom.
What you said you is spot on b/c after the passing of my mom 2 years [and my older sister having a stroke at about the same time, which she's working hard to this day to recover from], it was a huge wakeup call that our time is very limited and that we need to do things that matter.
Now I am much more deliberate in my actions vs. just doing things by default.
All the best,
– Alex
Alex – I believe this is a universal; just a question of when we each wake up to it. ~pl
Actually, it does include the younger gen that may “need” to look at what the quadrants look like… how bout the solution of Multiple Income Streams and more Quality of Life with the same amount of time. This would mean some planned and strategic magic moments spent with the various people that wish to experience love and be loved. Food for thought, today, right now. I think we may just have a prob, when the kids from the last generation of Pioneering parents, yes, have opportunity to be super independent, but this may backfire if intentions are not met with that Divine Plan. Parents so busy trying to get ahead and make a better life to pass on to them, (fill in your own complexity and result) … Take a look at Orient, if wishing to see extreme cases…Movie: The Last Train Home… The anger. Is it lacking appreciation for an intention or is it lacking because parents did not make a different choice….perhaps both… I do see a bit of staging, but what other choices, with the numbers being sited…. they are seeking to be understood, by a world moving to fear at creating the same thing. Patience for the Merge is needed. Thanks for your version of how to make a great movie! Sound advice, now to get the ears to hear and reconnect the stars.
I love it, Crystal — Strategic Magic Moments! Not your job, by the way to worry about other generations, other cultures… This is a very, very personal issue. ~pl
cool Paul – and we need to keep that focus.
Easy to forget.
Yeah Richard, easy to forget. Doing my bit to help people remember…
Invest your passions into your purpose. Love it.
The two big P words… Passion and Purpose
Well Paul . . . you nailed it. On the afternoon of 15 December 1975, in Westwod CA, I swallowed the advice you dispensed today. Since then I’ve lived my personal storybook life, traveled the English speaking world speaking/training and having the time of my life. I hope many of your readers do the same. All the best, Burt Dubin
Burt, very cool that you discovered this so young. You must’ve been, what – 15?
Great video Paul. The big question is: How do you find your passion? If you like what you do, if the business you’re building is growing (with ups and downs of course), but you don’t feel “passionate” about it (or maybe are not sure what passionate about it looks like) – or if money wasn’t an issue and you’d likely do something different…how you do suggest you decide what you are passionate about?
Hi Miklo – going to do a piece of this soon. But in the meantime, here’s what I know. Simple clarity about what is and what isn’t is a great place to start. It sets you on the quest. Also, open yourself up to “outside influence.” ~pl
Paul – I consider myself very open to outside influence, ideas and so on. Can you clarify the ‘what is and what isn’t’ statement? Would like to hear your thoughts on this (and look forward to your next piece).
Miklo, it’s simple. You’ve heard the old saying? “If you have to ask how it costs, you probably can’t afford it.” It’s sort of like that. If you have to ask, “Is this my purpose?” or “Is this my passion?” then whatever it is, it isn’t that. Passion/Purpose – these things aren’t subtle. You know when you’re living into them. None of which makes it any easier to find them when they’re absent, but it is important to know when you’re not.
Thanks for clarifying Paul and that makes sense. So that being the case I’m definitely looking forward to hearing more from you on ‘how to find one’s passion’. It’s a tricky subject and I haven’t read too much about it – so any ideas or guidance would be appreciated.
Great post, Paul. Inspired by Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hour rule, I always ask: "How many hours, in the area YOU really want to focus on, were you able to add today?".
Daniel – I like the metric, and it’s a good question. From there zoom up to the big picture… Is this (whatever THIS is) how you want to spend your life?
Worth the time to listen…
Amazing Paul. It is really insightful and lots more people need to think about the "Journey". Just what Jo and I were, and have been talking about for some time.
Mike, agreed… (Of course I agree – it’s my video!) But seriously… I’ve been having this conversation with a number of my coaching clients for the past few weeks and it’s just beginning to have a what looks like a huge impact. ~pl