Category: Reflections

So often we hear this phrase, “wasting time.” But what does that really mean? How do we waste time?

Wasting time can mean time that is loss by not doing something productive. Time that could be spent creating rather than being idle or lounging around. It could be used to describe someone who is wasting time by not completing a task or a job. They could be “wasting time” on their cellphone or on social media. Or they might be distracted and doing other things instead of what they’re supposed to be working on.

But we must ask why that time is being wasted? Is it because that person isn’t interested in the task/job, or do they just prefer working on something else?

Regardless of how we use our time, that time can never be replaced. Yesterday cannot be relived. The months and years that have elapsed cannot be re-experienced or revisited. That time is gone. The years we spent in our twenties, thirties, etc., are chapters in our lives that we can only discuss in hindsight. They are inalterable.

Wasting time only has meaning in the present tense or in the future. To say “I wasted time yesterday” has no meaning, really. That time that transpired yesterday is just a reality now. Perhaps it makes more sense to say “don’t waste time” rather than saying “I’m wasting time.”

But why even say the phrase “wasting time” to begin with? We know that time is short–it’s something that is lost forever once it passes. For example, the time I took to write this post will be lost forever. But with the hours and days or years we have left to live, the question is how to make the most of it–to appreciate every moment we have.

With everything that’s been going on in the past few months, it has made me realize how much stuff I have that I don’t need. Not only that, it made me acutely aware that I barely use a large portion of the stuff that I have.

One example is clothes. Suits, dress shirts, ties, sweaters, polos, etc. For months, I’ve hardly used any of them–just a handful. For the most part, they sit inside drawers or rest on hangers–waiting to be used. And if I do use them, I only wear the ones I really like.

Over the years, I’ve noticed that the stuff I’ve accumulated have rarely been used more than once. Books, movies, CDs, video games, etc. They sit on shelves or in boxes waiting to be opened and used. Last year, I did a purge of my belongings–getting rid of boxes of books, movies, video games, and clothes. It was a great feeling, especially since it cleared up space–made me realize that I could do without them.

Besides, why do I need to keep textbooks from college that I had purchased over ten years ago? Why would I reread a chapter or complete practice problems or questions from those books when they were solely used back then? And regarding technology books, they’re obsolete compared to the technology that exists today. Why would I reread chapters about dated forums and websites when newer ones have taken their place?

Anyway, I donated over a hundred books, especially since I never felt the need to reread them after so many years. It’s as if those books had a purpose at a particular time and place in my life, but no longer had a purpose today. The knowledge and ideas in them have been processed and absorbed. Now it’s time to move onto the next one.

Decluttering and reorganizing helps to free up space for newer things. Overtime, my preference and style changes, so there’s no need to hold onto the things of the past. The clothes I wore five or ten years ago no longer appeal to me. The same goes for the movies I used to like. They don’t have the same impact on me as when I first watched them. Since I already know what will happen, it doesn’t have the same element of surprise or suspense.

Of course, nothing is wrong with holding on to things that are important to us, or the things that we’ll use again. Whether they are records, games, movies, books, they have value so long as we invest our time into them.

The most important take away from decluttering and reorganizing is that we prioritize what’s important to us. Things that we hold onto that we don’t like or use is wasteful and takes up space. If we have other things going on like work, family, or if we primarily spend our time outdoors, the things we own should reflect what we’re in the habit of accessing or will use. Thus, there is a utilitarian value to the things we own, as well as a sentimental value.

Reorganizing and decluttering can be a hard, since we can be resistant to let go of things, but it is a necessary process to have more space and freedom.

It’s said that we must be persistent, but what does it take to be persistent?

It takes a courage and determination–an unwillingness to accept failure. To succeed and accomplish our goals, we have to be persistent. But what does that mean?

In a word, it means that we must not quit. Of course, failure and losing is a part of life–an unpleasant reality of pursuing anything worthwhile. Whether our goal is to create something, to finish a race, to win a game, or even pass a test that’s required for admittance, we won’t always win or succeed.

In the face of failure, it’s easier to give up–to call it quits. It’s as if the evidence of loss/failure is pointing toward quitting, yet, we refuse to do so. We must train ourselves to adapt–to improve and learn and grow to overcome the obstacle.

Persistence is really an attitude–a way of looking at something where it can be surmounted, where the end result can change if we don’t give up.

What does it take to succeed–to overcome an obstacle? Many books have been written on this subject. It’s said that it takes hard work, practice, learning new skills, improving our knowledge, etc. But even the best athletes make mistakes, even lose a game. But there are many more games to play, right? Just don’t quit. Be persistent.

Whenever I’m going out for a drive, the question of what to listen to largely depends on my mood. One option is music. The other is talk radio or a podcast. And then the last is not to listen to anything at all.

If I’m in a meditative state, I won’t listen to anything so that I can mull over my thoughts. If I’m wrestling with a dilemma in my mind that is weighing on me, I’ll think about it until I find a solution. It can be anything from a story that I’m trying to work out or an idea, topic, or question I want to understand.

When I’m listening to music in the car, my mind is in a completely different state. I’m not reflecting at all, but moreover, enjoying the music and immersing myself in the lyrics and rhythm of the song. In some cases, it helps me to visualize the scenes in my own stories, as well as figure out the plot as I’m imagining it like a storyboard.

I listen to talk radio or a podcast when I want to hear what’s going on in the world or to educate myself on a topic. When I’m not in the mood for music or if I don’t have anything to think about during the silence, I’ll let the speaker engage my mind.

This brings me back to beginning where I mentioned that the decision for music, talk radio, or silence, was contingent upon my mood. It’s one of those things where there is no one right answer, but a choice that reflects my state of mind.

In my short story What Do You Wish, which I published in The Beast Soldiers And Other Stories collection, a man finds a flip phone on a bus that asks him what he wishes for. When I wrote the story, I was reminiscing about the time that I had owned a flip phone–how simple and useful it was without the bells and whistles we have today

Of course, a smart phone can do so much more than a flip phone can. A smart phone can store hundreds of apps, record videos, and allow video conversations (i.e. FaceTime), etc. In contrast, the flip phone was designed to simply make phone calls and to send basic text messages (without all the fancy emojis), and maybe open some basic games (I used to play Othello on mine).

About 15 years ago, I was driving down a dirt road to work and thinking to myself, “What if I didn’t have the phone [flip phone] with me? What if I had left it at home?”

Today, it’s unfathomable to leave the house with our cellphone. It would be like leaving our wallet or keys behind at home. We’ve become so dependent on our phone that we constantly check it for emails and the news, even relying upon it for directions (using the GPS) instead of using our intuition/memory.

As cellphones become more advance, they’ll be faster and have a lot more features added on, as well as improved functionality. But when I think about the time when flip phones were prominent, I’m reminded of a time when I hardly ever used the phone, when things were a lot quieter, when I could focus on reading and writing without all the alerts and notifications.

For years, I’ve been wearing wristwatches on and off. I would go through periods that lasted months or years where I’ve worn one and not worn one. Besides, with smartphones, they’ve become the new pocket watches. It not only tells the time, but can perform a host of other functions that a wristwatch can’t.

But ever since smartwatches came out, they’ve made us consider whether we should wear one or a regular wristwatch. On a smartwatch, it can check our heart rate, track our footsteps, the display screen can be changed from analog to digital, and it can answer calls and send text messages. Lastly, they can even display our email and play music.

For some, however, it’s something to wear around their wrist all day. It might get in the way of one’s work or even be an annoyance because it is uncomfortable. And what is the purpose of a watch anyway? To tell time, right? So does a watch even matter? Why does somebody need to wear a watch if a cellphone (operating as a pocket watch) can do the same thing and more?

I’ll start with the reasons I like to wear a wristwatch. For one, I don’t want to draw out my cellphone every time to see what time it is. The more time I spend on my cellphone, the less time I’m spending reading, writing, enjoying the outdoors, or the people I’m conversing with. It pulls me away from my surroundings, from my own imagination and thoughts. I see the phone as more of a tool rather than something I should be spending a huge chunk of my day on.

Even reading a book on my cellphone is difficult. It strains my eyes, and I feel less able to focus or concentrate afterward. Instead, I use my cellphone sporadically–only when I need to. For example, if I need to make a phone call, send a text, use the GPS, etc., but these are instantaneous uses, not long drawn periods where I’m staring at my phone.

This is the reason I like wearing a wristwatch, and occasionally, my smartwatch. The wristwatch is simply something I can glance at to check the time. I’m not constantly looking at it, nor can I access any apps or make calls with it (which would be counterproductive if I’m working). I don’t have to ask people for the time or know if I’m late getting to somewhere. It serves a practical purpose which takes barely a moment of my time.

I find that a smartwatch is just useful as a wristwatch, though it has the added feature of receiving text messages and phone calls. But I think the decision to wear a smartwatch or a wristwatch depends on two things: style, and whether or not someone wants to receive alerts/notifications.

Let me start with the first: style. Style means just that: the style, or the design and the look of the watch. For some people, a smartwatch doesn’t have the aesthetics that they are looking for. Perhaps they like to wear a watch where they don’t have to activate it (i.e. turn it on or turn the wrist a certain way) to see what time it is. Another thing is that a smartwatch has to be charged regularly. For my smartwatch (Apple Watch), I find that I have to charge it almost everyday if I’m using it consistently. A regular wristwatch, however, has a battery that last months or years.

The preference for notifications is another major thing. If one is expecting a phone call or text messages, then it makes sense to wear a smartwatch. Without drawing out one’s phone, the smartwatch alerts them that they are receiving a call or a text. And without appearing conspicuous, they can just glance at their watch to see it. With a wristwatch, however, it’s obviously not meant for any type of electronic communication. It’s simply designed to tell time at a glance.

Despite the pros and cons of wristwatches and smartwatches, one might not need to know what time is or even want to know. Maybe a watch is unnecessary to them if they’re at the computer a lot or if there are wall clocks everywhere in their environment.

At the end of the day, just don’t be caught in the situation where you’re asking someone what time it is. I’ve been there before. Because you know what the response is: “It’s time to get a watch.”

Winter is that season that brings memories of snow, frigid weather, Christmas lights/decorations, and home cooked meals.

It’s that time when you pull out the sweaters and jackets from your wardrobe, that time of year when you stay in-doors all day and crank up the heat.

That time of year to catch up on all the shows and movies you missed. That time of year to visit family and friends on the holidays, or when you might get stuck in traffic from the long lines to the shopping mall.

It’s that time of year when you have to heat up the car in the morning before work, scrape off the frost or shovel the driveway.

It’s that time of year when a cup of hot chocolate tastes better than coffee. When the cold weather makes you appreciate the warm weather that came before it. But once the season has past, you miss it and wish it were longer.

Fall is that time of year when the leaves change color, when the trees rain leaves, and when the forests are dotted with an array of earth-colored hues.

That time of year when we wrap up summer vacation for the months of hunkering down ahead.

That time of year when cafés finally serve pumpkin spice lattes; that time of year to sit around a campfire in the autumn breeze and watch the flickering flame of the fire while enjoying some marshmallows.

That time of year when we welcome the falling leaves and cooling temperatures after a scorching summer that wore us down. 

That time of year when the daylight hours lessen, and we prepare for the colder months ahead. 

We know routines are important, but it’s hard to stick by them. Routines can be time-based, or they can be habit-based. For example, waking up at 7 a.m. each day is time-based, but brushing our teeth every morning is habit-based.

Routines can be hard to stick by if unexpected variables occur. For example, if exercising at 4 p.m. is a routine, it might be hard to stick by it if we’re not feeling well. Or if something came up at work and we have to stay a little late, that 4 p.m. schedule would have to be pushed to 5 p.m. But what about all the other routines that came after the exercise? Would those have to pushed back as well?

Routines create consistency in our day, which are important. We want to have a pattern that produces consistent results and outcomes. When we wake up at a certain time and leave at a certain time, the outcome of arriving at work early or on time is consistent. If we didn’t have this routine, we’d show up early one day, late the next, and these two outcomes would vary day to day.

Even if we follow routines, there are things that occur that are outside of our control. There could be heavy traffic due to construction or an accident. In the winter, it could snow, delaying our trip. These are exceptions, not the rule, however. The routines keep us on schedule–on time.

So here, I return to my point that sticking by routines is the hardest thing about them. We consider routines as good if they keep us on schedule and keep us productive. But there are times when not following the routine can led to surprising–even amazing–results.

For example, if I set an hour for myself to write, but I’m inspired to write more than an hour, the extra time that I wrote could be the best piece of writing I’ve ever done. If I had simply followed my routine, those inspirational pages of writing wouldn’t have existed.

Art, creativity, and inspiration seem to be independent of time–of schedules. They require us to go beyond the routine to bring them to life. There is almost a battle with the routine in creating art, though they can go hand and hand if the routine sets a time to create art.

This is where I struggle with routines–those moments of inspiration and insight that led to amazing writing and ideas. When those moments happen, I become self-aware of what’s going on and let them flow out of me. But when all else is equal, I stick by the routines.

We know that organization is important, but the question is how to keep the organization from unraveling.

To be organized is to have our things in their proper place, to have a space that is functional and uncluttered. It means being able to find what we need without having to look in three or four different places. It can look like having things in sections, folders, binders, and categories so that they don’t get mixed up with anything else.

But the biggest issue I find with organization is staying organized. When I begin taking stuff out of folders and files, the papers get moved around, and it’s easy for them to get mixed up with other things. Not only that, the continuity of work leaves little time to sort them and put them back in their proper place, making the disorganization even worse.

No matter what organization system I’ve used, it only works so long as things are returned to their proper place. The needed time to do so is crucial in being organized and staying organized.

Even if the workspace is clear, the work itself amasses papers and files that begin to stack up. Things get lost in the shuffle. Even if everything is labeled and we know where they go, it doesn’t matter unless they’re put away.

Making time to organize is just as important as being organized. Finding a system that works saves us a lot of frustration and time, but it can all unravel if we don’t spend the time to organize as well.