If you asked my daughter Lindsay who is the most impatient man on the planet is, she would laugh and say my Dad. I am impatient, but not in a bad way. I just put everything through my time filter. I always ask myself if what I'm doing is worth my time. I only have so much time. I only have been given so much time here, so with that thinking I ALWAYS RUN EVERYTHING THROUGH MY TIME FILTER.
One of my favorite sayings comes from the John Wayne movie "The Cowboys." John Wayne would wake up the young boys he hired to help him bring in his cattle by saying, "We're burning daylight!" That's how I feel everyday! I always tell me family let's go, we're burning daylight, even if it's at night!
I constantly ask myself if I'm wasting my time. If I'm involved in an activity that I feel is a complete waste of my time, I won't be there long. The reason is, I am acutely aware that I only have so much time here on this big rock. So with that thinking, I always decide if what I'm doing is a good use of my time. Obviously, some activities are a necessary use of time, like work and sleep, but what about all the other hours in your day?
For me, my family gets most of my free time, which I consider the highest and best use of my time. My son Kevin Jr is 10 and he gets a lot of my free time, this season I'm coaching him in Little League. As I write this post, I'm also watching Friday Night Smackdown with him. He loves those guys! When they come to Long Island, I've promised to take him to see it live.
My daughter Lindsay who is 14, doesn't really want much of my time any more, her friends rate much higher than I do. But that's okay, it's supposed to be that way. I get my time with her because I have a license and she always needs a ride. IT'S A PERFECT MATCH!
My wife Kimberly gets a lot of my time because we do so much as a family, but one area we definitely are lacking in is time alone. We're aware of it and we're trying to be better, I need to take her on more dates!
Next, I get a lot of my free time. I run a lot, I read a good bit, I watch a limited amount of TV, stuff I like, such as John Adams recently on HBO. I am a firm believer in me time, I don't think I can be my best and be there for those that count on me, if I didn't take the necessary time for myself.
There a few other things mixed in, mostly family, friends and community, but that's how I chose to spend my time. I chose who I spend my time with, I chose how much time I spend with them and I am always aware if I am wasting my time. Time is precious, we can't get back wasted time. Lost time cannot be replaced, lost money can, lost love can, but lost time you never get back. We all have been given just so much time!
How do spend your free time? Who do you spend it with? What's your highest and best use of your time? I would like to suggest that you think about time a little differently. Think about your day, is there some time you can reclaim for yourself? Are there activities that you know waste your time? If so, try to limit them. Actively think about your free time, ask yourself these questions and try to carve out more free time for your own priorities.
REMEMBER, WE'RE BURNING DAYLIGHT! UNTIL NEXT TIME, ALL THE BEST!
Kevin
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