Last week I wrote about the idea that there is no time, yet here I am posting about spending it. Let’s clarify a couple of things before I sound like a contradictory kook.
Last week’s post, where I talked about a book claiming there is no time, was about existing in the present moment: not letting what HAPPENED in the past, or what MIGHT happen in the future, control or dictate the choices you make about living now. It’s quite a paradigm shift if you have a tendency to be weighed down mentally and spiritually by anger, regret, and/or are plagued by what-ifs and might-have-beens. Letting past experiences and future possibilities affect today’s decisions can diminish the enjoyment of today.
Spending, both money and time, is a real-time (now) activity. Money left over after all the bills are paid is discretionary money. We often give great thought to how we spend. It can also be saved. Time is different. There’s no way to save it up to be used later.
Unlike money, every person has precisely 24 hours a day to spend. For those of us blessed to be retired, we get to choose what to do with each one of those 24 hours. No more filling much of your time with obligations to others. If you’re not retired yet, hang in there. It’s coming.
I think having control over all of your own time is the true definition of wealth. Before I retired, more than nearly anything else retirement related, I thought about how I would spend all my new-found time. It’s almost overwhelming. I devised a scientific method (well, to me it seemed pretty scientific) to categorize my time. It went like this:
1. Things I have no choice about doing (Sleeping, eating, life existence activities, maintenance, etc.)
a. Things I like to do
b. Things I don’t like to do
2. Things I have choice about doing
a. Things I want to do
b. Things I should do, but really don’t want to
And you know what? I still haven’t figured out anything important enough to pass on.
These days, everything that needs to get done gets done. But the truth is, I’m WASTING a lot of my time. I justify that (now) by telling myself I’ve earned the right to squander any time I want to. As a natural born introvert, I spend a lot of my time just being happy hanging out in the paradise we’ve moved to. Sadly though, (now) being happy often means I’m choosing mindless activity and inactivity. I’ve become addicted to on-line Majhong. And believe me, THAT is a total waste of time. Except for the fact that I’m probably staving off dementia. I can count that as an investment in my future, can’t I?
I am not (now) engaged in any legacy creating activities. My internal jury is still out on the decision about whether or not a legacy even matters to me. It didn’t today. Or any of the yesterdays either, I guess, since there’s no regret anywhere on my radar.
One thing I have done, consciously, is made “appointments” to connect regularly with friends and family who live in places we’ve left behind in our various moves. That regularity, evidenced by the noisy calendar reminders essential to my quality of life these days, are a good way to manage things that otherwise get lost in the clutter of living in the moment. And reconnecting with folks I care about has enriched my life a great deal lately.
I am (I am!) working on things I should do, but really don’t want to…like getting more physical exercise than I’ve gotten for the last 30 years. I know exercise is good for me, and when I get past the pain of being out of shape, I feel good that I did something good for me. Because honestly, I’m in the use it or lose it stage of life. It’s a work in progress though.
I often ponder how I would handle new-found wealth, winning the lottery for example. In fact, I’m writing a fictitious (for now) story to plan for that unlikely contingency. I would not squander a lot of actual money. Yet, though I consider control over my own time true wealth, it amazes me that I’m actually squandering it like I am. But neither do I regret it. Yet. Which may be the point of the journey of 68 and Counting.
So there you have it. Spend your time any way that makes you happy. If tomorrow you find yourself regretting how you spent yesterday, do something about it. Spend today differently so you’re happy today. AND tomorrow. And remember that it’s not all about choosing what to do. It’s perfectly fine to just BE as well.
P.S. You may recall I talked about finding an acronym for J.O.B. a few posts ago. Two good friends (married to each other) took me quite seriously and came up with Just Occupational Bullhockey. So thanks, Tina and Jim, with a hat tip to Colonel Potter from MASH, who always used the term bullhockey, instead of the more offensive colloquialism we all know. Your gift card is coming.
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