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Let's Talk About Time: Where is Yours Going?

I've come to a stage in my life where one of the top 3 things I am most passionate about is how I'm spending my time. Why? It's one of the greatest gift God has given us - and a lot of the time, truth be told, we squander it.

How you spend your time is a reflection of what you really care about. When you find that hours on hours are lost on online shopping, scrolling through Instagram, watching your favourite series, complaining about everything that's wrong in your life, it shows that's where you're truly most invested. It's where your heart and your mind are.

Aside from chasing our passions and 'living our best life', how often do we remember that we are called to much more? That our lives are not just for chasing pleasures and being comfy? That we were created neither to just pay the bills or make loads of money? What are you doing with your time?

It's a question I now ask myself everyday. It's so important to me not to go through life simply sleeping, eating, worrying, working, worrying some more, feeling sorry for myself, eating, sleeping - and repeating it all the next day. It's important to me to not spend valuable hours scrutinising other people's lives online, when I could be investing in more valuable things. It's important to me to look back on my youth and realise that I didn't just exist but I was intentional about my days. I like the way the New Living Translation (NLT) of the Bible puts it:

Teach us to realise the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. Psalm 90:12

Now, this doesn't mean you're not supposed to do things you enjoy or you can't just kick back and relax sometimes, or we need to spend 100% of our time roaming the streets and evangelising, but let's never forget that we're just passing through this world and we are on a mission. We're here for a reason - and that reason often has nothing to do with how many followers we have. Whether it's in serving God or living the best quality lives (which is really one and the same), we need to be more conscious of where our time goes.

Here are a few useful tips that help me and I hope can help you:

- Avoid holding on to your phone when you're done with it. Our smartphones are one of the greatest zappers of our time. Try to be conscious of your usage and avoid picking it up first thing in the morning. (Even it you just spend 10 minutes thinking or speaking to God, the gain is often much higher.)

Are you done sending that email or watching that video? Great. It doesn't have to lead to a two-hour scroll through gossip blogs. 

- Make a plan for the day, write it down and make it plain; don't just roll with it. You stand a far better chance of achieving your goals for the day/week when it's laid out.

- Are the people you're spending time with really worth it? I've come to realise it's far better to spend time alone than with a bunch that have nothing valuable to offer - spiritually, career/business-wise, on your journey to achieving your personal goals, etc.

How you spend your time matters; it's the difference between a meaningful, focused life and an average one.

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