As we move into reopening the country, many are recognizing lessons and habits they want to take with them into our new normal. I’ve read recently about the positive changes people have made while being forced to slow down. Collectively, we’ve focused on what is in front of us – talking with loved ones, cooking healthy and tasty food, growing gardens, exercising, making our homes an inviting space to spend long hours, finding books (and time) to read, and various crafts and handiwork to occupy our minds and hands. What strikes me is the similarity to what many, including myself, have been saying for a while – analog hobbies and habits that align with your goals and values are vastly more rewarding than digital alternatives like watching television or scrolling through social media.
While the world has lost and changed so many lives, I find it heartening to see many purposes discovered and lives positively changed.
In an early passage of Walden, Thoreau states that only one in a million is awake to the intellectual realities of their day, and only one in one hundred million is awake to the poetic or metaphysical reality. Everyone is only awake enough to make it through their jobs and their day and into bed to start again tomorrow. He describes the masses as slaves to things – to jobs, or possessions, or status. I think this describes most of our pre-isolation days, as well. Instead of living from a place of contemplation and focused action, we try to impress others on trivial matters or simply stay on the treadmill of “success” without considering what that concept means to us personally. So many exist, but only a few truly live.
The pandemic has brought a simpler life to many. Without the option of being at an office all day, or endless social gatherings, the solemn fragility of life has become only too real. We’ve discovered – or recovered – our principles and our reasons for working so hard in the first place.
As we go move forward into re-opening the country, the biggest challenge won’t be finding our values, but protecting the time we devote to them. I have two simple thoughts on how to protect these hard-won priorities:
- Schedule time for your most important activities and protect it.
You tell your time where to go. The gym, calls with loved ones, your new crocheting hobby; all of them require time and attention.
We automatically fill time. Someone asks us if we’re free and we see an open calendar, our immediate response is yes. The solution to this tendency is to schedule time for your activities and protect it like any other meeting. If you had dinner plans Thursday, you’d say you were busy. If Thursday is your time to stay home and rest – schedule it; you’re not free Thursday.
If you don’t protect your time, someone else will use it.
On that note, protect your sleep, as well. Often, once our sleep schedule goes, other healthy habits evaporate, too. Sleep, nutrition, movement, and stress all combine to impact our health. We are only as good as the baseline we create. By protecting your sleep and time, you’re keeping your stress levels down, and giving your mind and body the opportunity to recover from the work of each day.
- Do it today.
“You could be good today, but instead you choose tomorrow.” — Marcus Aurelius wrote.
Don’t wait for an opportunity to present itself. We create opportunities.
There is never a perfect time for anything. You won’t find a perfect day to learn more, or a perfect time to go take care of that thing you’ve been meaning to do for the past six months.
Do it today.
Today is a great day to learn. Today is a great day to act. Tomorrow doesn’t exist. All you’ll ever have is today.
You have the choice between existing and living everyday. Choose to act on your knowledge.
Make today count; don’t wait for tomorrow.
