20

Feb 2017

Don’t Lose Sight of Living – Making Time for what’s Important


With the New Year off and running, I thought it might be nice to take some time to talk about the importance of making time. I know, it’s something we’ve all heard before countless times in countless ways, but I wanted to put a bit of a different spin on things this time around.

When a company blog or similar business-related articles talk about “Making Time,” what topics immediately leap to mind? Prioritizing. Time-management. Balance. Calendars and timetables. You know the drill, I’m sure. And these are, of course, all valid points of focus in the working world – Balancing schedules, clients and projects is absolutely key to maintaining your success as well as your sanity – but there’s one very important aspect that’s nearly always left off this standard list of topics. Among these numerous articles that sing the praises of time management, how many of them mention the value of setting aside time for yourself? How many speak to the importance of remembering your life beyond the desk?

It’s easy to get caught up in the proverbial rat race, as we all know. Customers, new projects, work responsibilities – it all comes at us in a rush from a thousand different directions every day. When it all comes crashing in like waves against the beach, it can be difficult to separate ourselves. We’ve all had a day where there was barely time to escape from the desk long enough to even grab a fresh coffee. And while it happens from time to time, we can too easily forget that this should not be the norm. The pressure of the office seeps in little by little if unchecked, until you one day find yourself sacrificing far more than just the occasional coffee break.

How much of that same precious time do we put to use escaping the walls of the office and dedicating some life to the things that truly matter and enriching our existence; socializing with family and good friends, exploring old favorite hobbies and discovering new interests, taking a chance to breath and to let the mind just unwind for a few hours?

Desk-life is nearly infinitely renewable when you stop and think:

  • Customers will come and go.
  • Coworkers and employees will come and go.
  • Opportunities will come and go.

That’s where one’s personal/social life differs, it being our most precious, personal source of recreation that really can never be replaced. An invaluable resource, it is sadly so often devalued and even abused in the name of forging ahead without a second thought.

So please, I implore you, don’t forget to make a little room to prioritize life. Remember to value your personal time the way it deserves, lest you lose sight of it. There’s no harm or selfishness in making room on your calendar for you.