How to Waste Time
Me to Chat GPT: What does it mean to waste time?
🤖 Chat GPT: (read this part in a robot voice in your mind, ok?)
Wasting time means spending time in an unproductive manner, often by engaging in low-value activities instead of important obligations. It involves poor, careless, or inefficient use of time, leading to a lack of progress or accomplishment. Example: daydreaming.
Sigh. This is exactly the definition we’ve always been fed. All time should be spent moving toward progress or accomplishment, or you are wasting time and being lazy.
I love being productive. I love accomplishing things. But, we can’t be in that mode 24/7 or we won’t be able to make progress or accomplish anything.
What is NOT a waste of time:
Anything done with intention that aligns with the type of life you’re creating for yourself.
My intention is to create a life for myself that is joyful and not overwhelming or stressful. From that intention, I did the following things this week:
Watched a bunch of Bad Bunny halftime videos. (I mean, the grass was people, and they all ran out there and got set up in like 3 minutes time!) The whole thing brought me so much joy, including watching the videos after.
Took several naps.
Had breakfast with a friend with the sole purpose of chatting and catching up.
Made handmade birthday cards because it brought me joy.
Drove an hour out of my way to pick up the Handsome Man Friend so we could ride together somewhere. (The always-efficient previous version of myself would die about this one!)
Laid on the couch and watched the Olympics for several hours.
Read the end of Olga Dies Dreaming and started The Covenant of Water
Talked to my sister on the phone and on Marco Polo about important topics such as what we both ate for breakfast and what show to watch next.
NONE of this felt like a waste of time to me. It all enhanced my life and made me feel rested and refreshed. That makes it easy to do all of the productive things like see a bunch of clients, create podcast episodes, go to the gym, take care of the house, make meals for my family, pay the bills, etc.
Where can you NOT waste time this week, by doing something for no other purpose than it brings you joy?
HOT OFF THE PRESS
“When you’re spiraling, your brain isn’t looking for answers — it’s looking for safety.”
A spiral doesn’t mean something has gone wrong.
It doesn’t mean you’re bad at your job.
It doesn’t mean you’re behind in life.
It just means your nervous system is activated and trying to protect you… even if it’s doing a terrible job of it.
This episode will help you understand what a spiral actually is, why it feels so intense, and how to relate to it in a way that doesn’t let it run the show.
Because spiraling is part of being human — even for people who coach this stuff for a living (yes, including me).
Check out episode 224 here: https://tinyurl.com/OWWPod.
“Overwhelm isn't a time management problem. It's a volume problem.”
Overwhelm isn’t a character flaw. It doesn't happen because you’re lazy, scattered, or lack motivation.
It happens because you're trying to deal with too much.
Too many tasks. Too many decisions. Too many responsibilities that you’ve agreed to carry, either explicitly or implicitly.
And the solution isn’t squeezing more into your day. It’s doing less (strategically).
This episode will give you a simple way to reduce the load — without guilt, without overcomplicating it, and without needing a total life overhaul. You can stop managing your overwhelm and start preventing it entirely.
Listen to episode 225 here: https://tinyurl.com/OWWPod!
WORK WITH ME
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One on one coaching is the fastest way to stop feeling overwhelmed and start creating a joyful life. The first step is to set up a discovery session with me to learn more about coaching and decide if it’s right for you.