We live in a time vortex nation: a nation where time is valued as one of our greatest commodities, and yet where it seems to be ever fleeting and ever unavailable. We seem to wish we had more time to do all the things we want to do, and seem unable to “find” the time. As a nation, our priorities have driven us away from taking care of our own bodies and own health, instead turning us towards over-investment into our extended work hours, an investment that offers little more than a financial return.
I read an article in CNN earlier this week with some shocking statistics about American television watching habits. The average American watches five hours, yes 300 minutes, of TV every day. We are stuck in a time vortex. The more time we spend stressed at work, commuting, and away from our families and friends, the more time we seem to spend brainless in front of the television. Sadder yet is the fact that we are duped and left wondering where our time, our health and our quality connection with the people we love went.
If you watching any TV whatsoever and you claim that you “don’t have time” to invest in yourself and in your life the way you wish you could, then you are lying to yourself. Start turning off your TV and start actually living life. Do something dramatic, cut off your cable. I did and I now watch TV using Netflix on my iPhone as my reward during runs on the treadmill. It’s okay not to have cable, it’s okay to choose a book over television, and it’s okay to be different.
If you want to make changes to your life, there are always ways to make them happen if you are willing to let go of your excuses and change your behavior. The time vortex in your life is controllable if you learn to prioritize your real priorities and start valuing time for the precious, limited resource that it is.