Time: it’s a funny thing isn’t it? When we think about it, we feel like we’ve got loads of the stuff! Everything seems so far away. Yet before we know it, it’s been and gone! It’s dangerous really. By putting time into perspective and allowing ourselves to see it how it really is, we no longer take what we have for granted, or let ourselves to slip too far off track for too long. Otherwise, it’s very easy for all of those dreams to never actually become reality. And with that, all you have left is regrets…
Our Life In Jelly Beans
To see things visually, let’s look at our life in jelly beans.
Switch the sound on. It’s a powerful video…
See on average we have 28,835 days on this earth (thats 79 years) – it varies from year to year, also depending on your country, circumstances, health and actually: how lucky you are. Some of us are blessed with more day, some unfortunately have far less. However, much of our time is actually taken up by doing things like sleeping, eating, working, cleaning, driving. When you see how much you have left at the end of it all, it’s really quite surprising. So what can we take from this?
- By putting time into perspective, you can see just how precious every day really is, every hour even.
- There will be time that you can’t change. Like the time you need for sleeping for instance – you’ve got to get your rest!
- There will be time that you can though. One of the biggest time-eater’s is working, which is why you can see so clearly and visually now, just how much of a waste it is if you’re not spending it doing something you enjoy and are passionate about.
- You also have time which is spent doing things (like driving) but what’s to say you couldn’t double up on it, and also do something else at the same time (like listening to a podcast for example!)? Think outside the box!
- Last but not least, you have the time where you choose what you do. This should be spent doing things that will help to build more ‘fullness’ in your life. It should also be spent with friends, family and loved ones. And doing the things you enjoy – the things that make you happy!
Putting Time Into Perspective
Here’s another video that helps us to see things how they actually are…
See, the biggest mistake you can make is in thinking you have loads of time, because the truth is – no-one actually knows how much they’ve got. And even if we are lucky enough to be blessed with all these years, they will go by faster than you can believe it. You loose and hour here, loose an hour there, put things off and keep waiting for tomorrow, but it’s no way to live. Every moment is a moment you’ll never get back, but equally – it’s a moment that you can make into whatever you want. You can create new opportunities, you can work on the things you love and you can make your dreams a reality! So why don’t we?
What Stops People From Pursuing Their Dreams?
More often than not, it’s usually fear. We give ourselves all these ‘reasons’ why we can’t do this, or we can’t do that, but in all honesty, they’re just excuses that we use to try to sooth our conscience. Ultimately, the only thing stopping us from following our passion and going after our goals, is ourselves and our fear.
- The fear of failing
- The fear of not being good enough
- The fear of what others will think
- The fear of how it will affect our relationships
- The fear of the unknown
- The fear of financial instability
- The fear of actually: putting yourself first for once
- The fear of working damn flipping hard and not getting anything back!
Because hey: I’m not saying that even if you do start to follow your dreams, you’ll always achieve them. In fact, there’s no guarantee (just like in all things in life!) I also get that it’s not always easy to do, but you have to know – there are always ways to work around things, or work towards things, even at a snails pace. The most important thing is that you’re taking action and moving forward, with the end goal always in mind.
Because I promise you– the second you start following the path that feels right for you, going after it with everything you’ve got – life will it start to take you in the direction you was always meant to go. And don’t scoff! It’s not about fate, but the more you do, the more opportunities it will lead to and the more you will then be able to go on to achieve. You just have to be brave enough to take those first steps…
It’s Okay To Fail
Let’s take Bill Gates as an example now. Bill was the richest person in the WHOLE WORLD. Yet, his first business failed. And it failed bad. It was called the Traf-O-Data… I know, what a name! It was a device that could read traffic tapes and process the data, yet when he went to sell it- the thing didn’t even work!
But did Bill give up? Let it knock him down or defeat him? Of course not. In fact, his business partner -Paul Allen- later went on to explain that despite it not being the success they’d hoped for “it was seminal in preparing us to make Microsoft’s first product a couple of years later.”
See, life’s a journey. Every decision we make, every path we take- it’s shaping our future. For the better or the worse. But only you decide which direction you’ll go, based on the amount of action you’re willing to take. The first steps are always the hardest, but don’t let anything hold you back, and I mean that. And especially don’t let it be yourself.
Make The Decision Today…
Decide to make better use of your time. Just start with small changes at first. Limit that TV time and put it onto something more productive. Prioritise your health and fitness because you know it should help you in the long term. Start working on those dreams… starting now. (No more procrastination!)
Time shouldn’t scare you. It should inspire and drive you.
Just don’t pretend that it isn’t going anywhere, don’t let yourself put off the things you really want, or allow your fears to hold you back, stopping you from doing what you know you should do.
Use these videos as reminder. Keep putting time into perspective. And see what you can make happen!
Best of luck.
Love,
Ell_ xx