Clocks will keep ticking, Monday will always become Tuesday and then, before you know it, it’s Christmas again. Time passes by infinitely, nevertheless, it’s very much worth acknowledging that your time within that is precious.
Allow me to explain the idea and value of chosen time: Everyday you are met with a choice, to either do something or not, and if you choose the latter then you’re choosing to do something else.
Stay in bed for a few more minutes or get up? Toast or cereal? Skirt or jeans?
In these moments, you’ve placed value on doing one thing over the other. I define chosen time as time laced with purpose. It’s taking a forefront of the schedule you were born with and running it like the Navy. It may seem a bit obvious to spend your time how you please, but as a former people-pleaser, this realisation not only slapped me in the face but took my wallet too.
Meet up today for lunch or another day? Gym or jog? Text or call?
I used to be so drained all the time because I ran my life on other people’s schedules – a huge part of that was because I didn’t respect my own boundaries, let alone know I had any in the first place. These days, I do not give my valuable time to anyone I do not wish to, I owe them nothing; I certainly don’t go out of my way giving time to things I don’t want to be doing.
Hang out with them because they asked, or no? Shower or bath? Gin or juice?
I believe being mindful of your time is paramount when considering your quality of life. Since curating a structure that respects my own timeline, I found I don’t want to waste it on certain people or situations. Feeling like you should be doing something or should be engaging with certain people is yet another way of wasting your time; you either want to, or you don’t, so act on that fact.
Personally, I dedicate at least two days a week to this blog. It serves me to organise thoughts, words and feelings. When anyone asks something of me over these two days, I tell them no. This is my chosen time. So, when I do choose to spend my time with someone, I like to think of the unspoken intimacy in that they also chose to spend their time with me. That’s our chosen time.
Wake up, even on lazy days, with intent to have a lazy day. Build your boundaries and spend your time exactly how you want to with who you want to – because you’ve chosen to.