Time is money, or at least that’s what they say. I like to think of it a little differently.
“To equate time to money, in my option, is to be a little too vulgar. Instead, I think time is gold,” says Tim Bormann, a worker at NSBroker, who values every day a lot.
While gold and money have both enjoyed the status of currency at different points, gold has a more lasting value and is, therefore, the better thing to compare to time. At least that’s what I think.
That said, something else they say is that you should make every day count. On the one hand, this is valuable advice that encourages you to add more value to your time and to treat it like the gold it is. On the other, it is rather impractical advice. It is like when you’re holding a bow and arrow in your hand, aiming at a target 100 meters away, and your instructor simply tells you to “hit the bullseye.” You know that’s what you’re supposed to do, and you know that will be the ultimate measure of your success as an archer, but that doesn’t do anything as far as telling how to actually hit that bullseye. It hasn’t been broken down into actionable action points that you can then apply conscientiously toward helping you to hit the bullseye.
Ultimately, making your day count is all about giving meaning to the life you live from one day to the next. And many will tell you that it is in that sense of meaning and purpose that you will find true happiness. When you spend every day working toward achieving your ultimate goals or just living your purpose consistently, you will be happy. Most probably, you will be happier than most.
All the same, it is one thing to say that you should give meaning to every day that you live through and something else entirely to actually put it into practice. How, exactly, do you make every day count? What are the little things you could start doing now that would ultimately give your days more meaning and make you happier?
That’s what this article is all about. There are little tips you can use to your advantage and, with consistency, patience, and discipline, you will start to see a real and significant change in the way you feel about your days. You don’t have to apply all of them at once; one at a time is okay. Start with the easiest step and see how it makes you grow, then proceed from there and add other little steps into your progress. Soon, you will be so far along your journey of progress that to an outsider it will look like you did it by magic.
- Practice Gratitude
Gratitude is such a beautiful and effective emotion, and yet it is one of the most underrepresented emotions in the human psyche.
Be grateful, not only for what you have but for who you are as well. When you acknowledge the good that is in your life, you force yourself to be introspective and investigate what it is that makes you who you are. Gratitude, by its very nature, requires meditation. Meditation brings peace. It allows you to slow down in a world that is constantly trying to hurry you up.
When you practice gratitude, you are also redirecting your mind from all of the negative emotions that have been pestering it. All your little fears, stressors, and anxiety triggers are overwhelmed by the flood of positivity that comes from realizing that you really don’t have it quite as bad as you think.
Being grateful for the positive aspects of your relationships with others and sharing that gratitude with those in your life as you appreciate them also makes those relationships more meaningful and increases their chances of lasting.
Express your true Self
We all have a well of creativity from which we draw. And when one discovers that well and gets lost in it, savoring the process more than its results, they lose their sense of time, their sense of self, and their sense of the world around them. In many ways, they cease to become individuals with a limiting consciousness and instead become conduits for a greater consciousness that uses them as a vessel to build great and beautiful things.
That state of loss coupled with gain, when we are in our element, has been called many names, with the most popular one being the “flow state.” In order to get into that state, you have to release all of your inhibitions and allow yourself to express who you are. You don’t have to be the greatest painter or singer; you just have to be yourself. We all have our own ways in which we express creativity and embracing them is what allows us to reach heights we would never have imagined possible.
Set aside at least an hour every day when you tap into your most creative self and do what you love the most. You will be surprised by what you can create in the process.
Learn
Have you ever been curious about something? Perhaps there is a subject you have always wanted to learn but never could seem to find the time. Learning is easier today than it has ever been, thanks to the internet and the World Wide Web that has been built on top of it.
When you constantly engage your mind in a learning experience, you force it to grow and rewire itself in new ways. The brain can easily be molded and improved at whatever age. You should, therefore, take every opportunity to do so.
You don’t have to invest too much when you’re starting out; it can be no more than a couple of hours a week on a cumulative basis. Surf the internet and look for articles on your favorite subject. Start a digital course. Watch a YouTube video. Do some research. Whatever you learn, however, you learn, the important thing is that you learn.
Find something you love to do and do it
There is a lot to be said about the joy that comes to our hearts when we do what we love. It inspires us and nourishes us in a way that nothing else can. When you are engaged in something you are passionate about and enjoy doing, you come alive in a spiritual sense. In the process, you also inspire others and motivate them to chase after their passions. You attract to yourself those who share your passions.
Different things bring joy to different people, and they do them in different ways. Some have pursued it as a career; some have made it into a business, and others have made it into the hobby they pursue whenever they are free.
Whatever brings you joy, set aside some time every day to do it. It will make you go to bed feeling fulfilled and your days will have a lot less of that ‘wasted’ feeling many of us dread.
Face your Fears
We all have fears that we are hesitant to face. These are the things that we often won’t try; the places we won’t go; the people we won’t talk to, all because we are anxious about what the results or consequences will be.
There is nothing wrong with being afraid. Fear is a part of the human experience and to deny or repress fear is to deny and repress being human. The trick, however, is to recognize fears and face them regardless. The fears you do not face ultimately become your limits. They will form the glass ceiling that you will never be able to get through, and you will be restricted in how much you can achieve, at least until the day you face those fears.
Spend some Time by yourself
We are so often overwhelmed by the demands of life that we forget to take some time and just spend it on our own. There are a lot of benefits that can come from solitude. When you are alone, you have time to quiet your mind and face your demons. You have time for introspection, to interrogate your deepest desires as well as fears.
Alone time is a perfect time for meditation. With meditation, you tell your brain to be quiet so you can listen to your mind. It allows you to slow yourself down and gain more control over your own thoughts and emotions. There is a lot to be said about being able to slow down in the fast-paced world that we live in. Do not take your alone time for granted. It may be the greatest gift that you can give yourself.
Keep a Journal
A journal allows you to write down not only the events that transpire in your day but also the thoughts that transpire in your mind. Thoughts and ideas are such fleeting and ephemeral things that they are easy to lose in a heartbeat. A journal allows us to assign permanence to them by recording them. I personally write my essays at it by hand then later transfer it to the computer for even more permanence.
We also get to write our goals down in our journals, which makes it even easier to visualize and work toward them.
Conclusion
A good first step to making every day count is to assume that it is your last day on earth. You should ask yourself what you would do if today were your last day alive. The answers that come to you are the things you should pursue.