Saving Time on Lost Causes

“Before you can break out of prison, you must first realize you’re locked up.”

~Author Unknown.

There is another quote like it:

“None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.”

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

The cost of naivety is heavy.

The stench of innocence is one that’s ignorantly foreign to a better known truth. In a world that values such innocence, especially as a fervent locale of spirituality, there’s still little tolerance for skirting truth. Time is the cruellest ambassador.

Many are the pastimes strangling hope of present joy. The berserk reality is these go unchallenged.

‘Saving Time’

This actually doesn’t make any true sense. No one can ‘save time’. But we can make time count.

Wasting time is the biggest predicator of frustration in our world. And for every frustration manifest from re-work there would be ninety-nine out of a hundred that go unchallenged. That is, these incidents are unmatched for awareness—that many future occurrences need not occur, but they will.

How wonderful we feel when we’re effective and efficient. Purpose is served in this; one that is motivational. Indwelt is joy to know life ‘clicks’ when time is used with telling effect.

Identifying Lost Causes

It pays to be ruthless about time-related choices, for it’s only the things of intrinsic value that are safe; for instance, those things that prove of value in others’ lives from our generosity.

Real lost causes can certainly be rooted in the selfish realm. Time spent on ourselves, only for our gain, whilst it’s sometimes beneficial, is over the longer term unsustainable. Our own frustrations will be the noticeable key. Funnily enough, many people who are frustrated with themselves serve to repel these feelings and purge them over others. No wonder we can say, “Hurt people hurt people.”

The Ages-Old Art of Self-Discipline

First, a measure of reason is required dictating the drive to make the best use of available time. We have to want it. Second, and almost swinging against the first, is the ability to challenge ‘efficiencies’ to ensure they really make for good effect. What use is there doing the wrong things well? Third, courage is added to newfound awareness to continue the forge for change until the best fit sticks.

Maintenance comes fourth. This is the Art to talk about, for it’s escaping us and it’s the single-most attributable factor for wasting time. The lack of self-discipline to maintain resolve takes people back to square-one more often than any other thing.

But, still, we must achieve the place of pre-maintenance to begin with. Steps one to three are the key.

Parting Thoughts

1. Enjoying little successes promotes bigger successes. Build on the appreciative approach regarding how time’s spent.

2. Be thankful for frustration and utilise it. It’s a lesson and a learning opportunity. Where possible, don’t accede to the insanity of repeating over and again the same tired lessons.

3. Allowing reflections on improvements, over time, is the celebration of growth. Instead of looking back to regret mistakes, look back with a smile to note how far you’ve come to the positive. Don’t be embarrassed by what you did; be pleased about what you’re doing, whilst remaining hopeful for ongoing growth.

© 2010 S. J. Wickham.