Do you Respect Your Own Time?

Driving to work in the morning when I first hit the road, I am continuously awestruck by the sight before me. Visible from the highway is a local Starbucks, complete with a line of about twenty or so cars wrapping around nearly three quarters of the building.

It never ceases to amaze me how many people value their triple mocha grande latte with nitro shot infusion (or whatever it is that people get at the coffee shop) more than they value the 20 minutes of their own time that is lost waiting in the drive-thru.

Many of these poor misguided souls are likely also the same people that claim they have no time to exercise…makes one wonder where else valuable time is being lost throughout the day.

If you happen to be one of these coffee shop addicts willing to wait in line at the drive-thru every morning, consider this approach next time you head out to get your favorite cup of joe…Instead of waiting in your car, actually go inside on this occasion (the lines will likely be much smaller).

While in line, inside the coffee shop, proceed to bust out some bodyweight exercises: jumping jacks, push-ups, squats, mountain climbers…the more attention grabbing, the better. Not only will you get some much needed activity in, but you will likely make everyone else in the shop so uncomfortable that they will just let you cut right to the front of the line. You won’t even have to wait at all!

Okay, okay, so maybe that scenario is a little far-fetched (though I would still love to hear of someone trying it). All kidding aside, I want you to take a closer look at how you allocate your time each day, paying particular attention to moments that could be more productively spent.

As cliché as it is, we are only given a finite amount of time to maximize each day, and so it’s important to learn to spend as much of it as you can with quality people and in worthwhile endeavors. Scrolling through social media, surfing through Netflix, and waiting in line at the drive-thru can all act like time vampires, sucking the life out of our productivity.

Awareness is a key component to change. If you can become more aware of the lost time throughout your day, you will be better prepared to turn those idle moments into more productive and fulfilling ones that let you get the most out of your time.