From My Perspective: Don't Let the Time Pass

One day it just hits you that time is moving fast, barreling forward and it isn't waiting for you. Nor will it stop. It makes me wonder why I, and probably so many others, keep putting things off. Not just things, but important things, and often people, too.

Well, the truth is I don't so much wonder why I do it. I know the reason, but to say it's a good reason would be a lie. The truth of the matter is there really is no good reason or excuse to do so.

We put things off with excuses of: "I'll do it tomorrow, or next week or next year." But not a single one of those are promised to us. Honestly, the next 60 seconds aren't even promised.

There's a quote that says, "One life, just one. Why aren't we running like we are on fire towards our wildest dream?"

Seriously, why aren't we? Instead, most of us say things like "I'll get to it... tomorrow," or "There just aren't enough hours in the day." There are plenty of hours in the day. I'm just one of those people who try to pack more into a day than can ever be accomplished.

In being authentic (my word for the year), I'm reminded that I don't have to do it all. More importantly, I don't have to do it all in one day. But what I do have to do, or maybe it's more that I want to do, is live each day more fully, and with meaning. Did you catch that - living each day fully, instead of filling each day to beyond capacity expectations.There is a huge difference.

Filling each day to capacity with all of the mundane to-do's, lists to check off, meetings to go to and deadlines to meet, versus living each day fully, with purpose, authenticy and meaning, and spending time and attention with and for those people who are important to us.

I'm beyond guilty of being very bad at keeping in touch with people. Part of it is yes, I'm back to being busier than I want to be. But the other really bad thing is that I justify it. Worse yet - I procrastinate by saying things to myself like "I'll call them tomorrow." When tomorrow actually comes, I either completely forget (until about 3 a.m. when I'm stressing about the fact I didn't reach out), or time got away from me (which is usually often the case), or when I did have those five minutes to myself, I chose to get one more thing done on my list.

There's more to life than making a living and getting things checked-off a to do list. There's more to life than being busy. There's more to life than scrolling through social media. And there's more to life than all the "we should get-togethers."

I don't believe to do lists are a bad thing. They do help keep me on track for things I need to make sure to get done. But they don't need to be five miles long. That's a pretty big exaggeration, but mine often contain more than is physically possible for one person to accomplish in a week, let alone a day.

What kind of life is this to lead?

I'll tell you. It's a life of waking up and realizing someone or something isn't there anymore and all the times you said you would call or go visit don't matter a single bit because now that opportunity is gone.

I was profoundly reminded of this as I was talking to someone this past weekend who means the world to me. She and I have said, for three years or better, we should catch up and have lunch. Three years! We did catch up a little this weekend, but we still say we need to have lunch. This morning, I texted her to set something up. That relationship deserves my attention and my time.

So do others.

My plan is to make a point to reach out to at least one person I want to keep in touch with each day. Whether it's a short text to let them know I'm thinking about them or making plans to do something, with a specific date on the calendar, and not some ambiguous "we should get-together soon." I believe I can accomplish this small goal. It's not overwhelming and it's completely manageable. Will I be perfect? Not even a remote chance. Will I be better? Probably a higher chance.

I don't want to keep putting off the important until tomorrow because the mundane busy got in my way. I guess what I'm saying is that if you're like me, it might be time to start thinking about and doing things just a little bit differently.

Who have you been meaning to get in touch with? What's something you've been wanting to do? What place have you been wanting to go visit? My advice, for what it's worth, is time waits for no one, so don't let the time pass and do what you've been putting off and meaning to do.

Live this life to the fullest and with no regrets for what you didn't get to.