Tag Archives: time

How to be more intentional with your time.

Plan: Intro, the issue, what i will do, 1 plan your day, 2 have an accountability partner, 3 be disciplined, realize when it is okay to relax

As you have all seen throughout the duration of this blog’s life, I like to use my platform as reminders to myself and others on how to be better. Today’s task is centered around improving your intentions.

The usual routine of an adult’s day is to: wake up, shower, maybe walk the dogs and have breakfast, go to work, come home, eat dinner , watch tv and go to bed. This seems pretty standard, but at least for me, I have the feeling that this time where I am not doing anything could be used more practically for pursuing my interests.

A power that social media has upon individuals is the ability to nullify passion and drive. Mindlessly scrolling on a screen is like a dementor; it sucks the life out of you to the point where you forget your own meaning other than to endlessly scroll.

You basically become robotic, consuming media and applying it to the only area of your mind which is accessible, your insecurities. The horrific thing is, our automatic, habitual tendency to pull out our phone is becoming our downfall for this bad behaviour, which ultimately we inflict on ourselves.

One solution to begin to make your time intentional is to delete the applications which can suck your time up. This makes them impossible to access without redownloading it, and according to the 20 second rule, if you’re really disciplined, you are unlikely to follow through.

Alternatively, if you can’t just delete the apps, you can always use screen restrictions, such as Apple’s Screen time rules or Android’s Digital Wellbeing. Unlike the redownloading, the only obstacle between you and the app is a passcode which unlocks the app, though with Apple focusing on containing this, it is unlikely to remain this easy.

Having an extra pair of hands can help stimulate better intentionality in your life. For example, I let my mum know what I am getting up to, just so I am more likely to stay focused and determined if someone is reminding me what I should be doing.

Finally, you may think you have to be extremely disciplined, the reality is if you plan your day, not down to the specifics (like 20:30- 20:34 dinner) then you are still likely to be disciplined enough to do what you need to do. Setting boundaries on technology and having someone look out for you are key, resulting in a disciplined personality trait developing. That is how to be more intentional.

Thank you for reading!

Maybe cut down on your screen time

With the whole world being stuck at home once again, it may seem natural to spend every waking moment online, to pass the time away that you would usually be doing with others.

Now don’t get me wrong, like the average Joe, I love using my phone and the internet. It is a brilliant source of entertainment, communication and pleasure. However, for every positive there has to be a negative. With the internet, it is the biggest form of distraction there is.

It has been said many times before me. Websites have been designed to be engaging and addictive. The reason tiktok is so popular is because of its endless scrolling feature. It is impossible to reach the end of it, there is no end. Facebook and YouTube are the same, you could spend hours watching videos and browsing, without realising it is night and you haven’t eaten all day. That anecdote may seem farfetched, but it does happen; to me as well.

You may be wondering “Get off my phone? That is so easy anyone can do it!”. To those who make that statement, I ask you whether you have tried a detox from it? To an outsider, anything seems possible. Once you have committed to staying off it for a while, it will become how apparent the difficulties it entails.

Books are still a thing, and probably hold more knowledge than any single video does. Perhaps you could try it instead of indulging in a Minecraft video. I should state, I am being hypocritical on purpose. I believe throughout all our lives, we should take responsibility and be accountable for our own actions; myself included.

So, let us try to get our screen time down by 10%.

Remember to Live

I wanted to tell all of you about the meaning of this phrase in a bit more detail, mainly what it means to me.

For the majority of my childhood, i have felt as though I have wasted my time. I preferred being inside, couped up in my bedroom online; not talking to anyone, only listening to others. By no means was it was because of a tough childhood, I just wanted to escape from reality. So I would spend, every moment of my day, watching what others had created, not realising how fast has passed me by. One minute I’m 13, watching YouTube on my Mum’s computer, now I’m 18 and I am doing that in my room. When I reflect on the timeline here, what has truly changed within me?

There is one thing, I have learned to love myself.

It’s like Marmite, you either love it or hate it; same with the phrase above. I am slowly learning how my time spent on irrelevant topics has consumed my life. I’ve probably spent more time online, than I have speaking to my parents, and that isn’t right. I should clarify, when I say online, I mean being isolated, just viewing, not communicating with others.

But, I have learned to appreciate myself just that bit more. I realise now that I should not do this to myself, and instead start pursuing something where I actively speak to others. There is a quote, that I always try to remember. “It’s good to remember death, but what is more important is remember to Live”.

I think that is something we should all account for in our lives. Remember to live, and not let life live without you in it. Disengagement is easy, but it is the worst place to be.

Live ❤

No excuses…

What is something that you have always wanted to do? Is it to climb a mountain, or write your own screenplay?

If there is one, why haven’t you tried it yet?

For me, I want to write a book one day, and get it published to the kindle store for others to read. This is because I love to read others work, and would be thrilled if they could experience the same joy by reading mine. The reason I haven’t done this yet is because of my fear. I am afraid that I am not linguistically skilled enough to produce a high quality fiction book; there is not enough time for me to write a book; even though there definitely is. I have made all these excuses to try and convince myself this is not the right way forward.

This is the same with other physical activities, such as going to the gym or going on a hike. You may say ” It is cold today, I don’t want to go out in case I get a cold’ . Our brain then processes this excuse, and makes a verdict on whether you should go out today and exercise, or watch the latest episode of your favourite TV show. Our minds work with us and against us.

The truth of the matter is, there is no real legitimate excuse ( besides major health issues) to not pursue what you want in life. Working a 9-5 and always feel tired? Then try to work around this; put a few hours in before and after work on your passion project. If it is something you want to pursue, then your excitement to continue becomes your motivation. Sacrifices may have to be made, to make your dreams a reality, but if it is important to you, it won’t matter as much.

We always forget how precious time is. No matter how much money you will ever own, you can never buy time back. How about we all use this blessing to the best of our ability while we can. We all only get one life, why not start living it?

If you can’t, what is your excuse?

There isn’t one.