The Quest For More Time

Have you ever felt like you’re too busy? If that’s the case for you then you’ve got company, lots of it.

These days, everybody everywhere seems to be busy. From parents who have to work long hours to care for their families to kids who are burdened with loads of work at school. Then there’s the huge amount of time individuals devote to their personal hobbies and recreation like a favourite sport. Then there’s all the time that social media secretly seeps away from our lives. There’s just too much to do these days. But do you really need to keep up with all of these activities? Sure, some of them like work is very important as they provide a means to care for the family. But does time for work or anything else have to be at the expense of some other important things like our personal relationships with friends and family? How can you make sure to maintain a balance of things regarding work, school and your personal life?

A survey conducted in 2015 of some full-time workers in about eight different countries revealed that many people really find it hard to meet the demands of both their work and home life. Of course, there were consequences of too much time devoted to work, including; rising expenses, longer working hours and stress, both physically and emotionally. In the united states, for example, full-time workers report working an average of 47 hours a week. Some others claimed they work 60 hours or more!

Of course, workers are not the only ones who get affected. Children too, especially those in colleges and universities are affected when overburdened with tightly scheduled activities. When we are constantly trying to do more than time allows, we get stressed. Fortunately, it is possible to live a more balanced and productive life. But first, our beliefs and goals will have to be strictly reviewed. Consider three reasons why some try to get involved with too many things.

1. The desire to meet up with the expectation of others: Some persons struggle to gain the approval of others by way of their actions at work or school. Some employees decide to work long hours to gain the favour of their employers. Others may agree to stay overtime at work if their colleagues are doing so to avoid some feeling of guilt. Students too, exert themselves to meet up with several school activities (academic and social), sometimes just for the sake of pleasing their peers and trying to fit in, so as not to be viewed as some kind of an oddball.

2. The dire need to attain certain status in life: Some students have been worded consistently from childhood by their parents and society in general of the need to go to school, study hard and get excellent grades so they can get a “good job” and live a “good life”. This might fuel their desire to work extra hard to achieve their goals and not let their parents down. Frankly, though, such a persistent desire to achieve a certain goal is quite admirable. But special care should be given to the extent one is willing to go to achieve such goals.

1. The need to provide well for the family: As a parent, you likely want the very best for your kids and your family as a whole because you love them. A measure of financial security is always an added advantage in every home because problems are easily solved. Having more money could also ensure that your kids are comfortable and happy. Sadly, though, some parents get carried away, struggling to make more money to buy more things for their kids, losing sight of what their kids really want but may be unable to say, which is their time and affection.

STRIKING A BALANCE: Diligence and hard work is very much encouraged in anything you do. But it would be unwise to pay so much attention to one thing you feel is urgent and important while ignoring other things that may not be so urgent but are just as important. You must be able to strike a balance in your life. Living a well-balanced life is beneficial for your physical and emotional health. It is easy to overlook one’s health, getting carried away by daily activities. The long-term effects of neglecting such things are not easy to handle. So it would be wise to create a balance in your life.
How can you do this? Three helpful tips are outlined below.

1. Clarify your goals: It is reasonable to have a clear picture of what it is you want to get out of a certain activity, be it work or school. This would help you to easily make an evaluation of just how much effort is needed to improve or to know if you’re doing too much. You would be better able to decide just how much time and energy you really need to devote to a certain activity.

2. Set limits on every activity: For those who work, speaking honestly to your employer about your work and your priorities is not out of place, and you should never feel guilty for taking a break from work to spend time with family or friends. The same goes for students. It would be wise to review every activity you find yourself involved in and decide which ones you really need to take part in and which ones to drop. In doing so, you would be creating more time for more important things.

3. Avoid unnecessary wants and desires: The world is filled with lots of attractive stuff that look enticing and sometimes cheap to purchase. Many people are willing to work long and hard just to make extra cash to afford such items, most of which they don’t really need or can do without. You, on the other hand, should be disciplined enough to avoid acquiring stuff you don’t really need, simply because it looks attractive and is in vogue. Of course, if you can comfortably afford such things, then go for it.

TIME is one of our most precious possessions. Everyone has it and at the same time, no one does. It is unlimited and at the same time limited. it is priceless and we should never underestimate its value by wasting it carelessly on things that won’t benefit us and neglecting the people we love. If you desire a better and more meaningful life, it would be wise to set priorities that would enable you to save more time for the most important things in your life.