In May of last year, I was planning my new start in Arizona. Obviously, I would be starting a new job and adjusting to new surroundings, but I also felt like it was a good opportunity to start some new habits. I wanted to start taking care of my skin. I wanted to start a regular workout routine. I bought Rosetta Stone and committed myself to really learning Spanish. I sucked at the first goal. Never woke up early enough to do absolutely anything for my skin. I tried hard at the 2nd by joining a gym and trying lots of classes and workout apps. Fatigue and lack of results eventually made it difficult to be consistent. For the third, I stayed committed and never went more than 2 days without practicing Spanish and completed the entire program last week. This isn't a story of success, but it isn't one of failure either. I learned a lot about time this year.
Everything...and I mean everything, if done well, takes time. I'm good at my job because I spend so much time working to make myself better. I am assessing myself and trying new things outside of work hours because it is important to me. It isn't "just a job" that I put in the minimum amount to make a living. This kind of dedication applies to everything. If fitness is going to be taken seriously, you can't just put in 20 minutes at the gym a few times a week. You have to go back every day. You have to keep pushing yourself.
If you watch celebrity accounts on Instagram, you quickly realize that that hair and skin you envy takes a lot of time. They go to dermatologists and salons every week. They do laser treatments and wear countless serums and masks. In a recent post by singer Kelsea Ballerini, she said that it takes her over an hour every single night to do her "nightly routine."
These things don't end either. I can't just eat healthy for 6 months and be done. A house cleaned meticulously for a month won't maintain that level of clean. Even with the one goal I maintained, learning Spanish, I may have finished the program, but I am no way done. I will still have to keep practicing more and more and more to become fluent.
Here's the really important part of this post: We don't have time for everything. As much as our society tries to make us believe we can and should be organized, financially responsible, a good parent, healthy, clean, fit, beautiful, a good spouse, smart, etc., it's just unreasonable to think one person can have enough hours in the day to commit to each of these things. I'm not saying to give up. I'm just learning to prioritize. What really matters to me? What things will I be glad I spent my hours dedicated to 20 years from now? That's different for everyone, and honestly, outside of work, I am struggling to decide what that is for me. If you do something for an hour every day for 20 years, that means you will spend over 300 days of your life doing that. That's a substantial amount. So, what is worth your time?
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