This thought crossed my mind and it was a bit shocking to me that I had never really considered it before.
What activities do I actually value? How do I want to spend my time?
It’s easy to just assume that you are always considering this and that the manner in which you spend your time always reflects what you value.
But the more I think about it, the more I think that’s a foolish assumption that also happens to be incorrect.
It’s easy to get stuck in the same old routine and do things simply because it’s what you have done.
Without a plan in place and some conscious effort, you’re also way more likely to simply choose easy things versus good things. You may even subconsciously justify it by convincing yourself that the easier thing is what you really wanted.
In my own life, I think there are obvious examples of things that I do that I don’t actually value that much. While I’m certainly not bad at all compared to the average American, I still spend a fair amount of time watching movies and TV shows.
And I really don’t find any of that time fulfilling. Even simply reading a book is virtually always a better use of my time. So in most cases, I feel that I should be doing that.
I’ve had the thought lately, too, that something like disc golf is actually surprisingly rewarding, and something that I value a great deal. It’s outdoors, it’s active, it’s social, it’s fun, and I really enjoy an activity that I’m always trying to improve at.
I think it’s really important to be aware of things like that and to plan accordingly.
I think it’s also important to be mindful of specifically what it is about an activity that I enjoy, so I can focus on what’s important.
For example, as a 30-something that spends time with lots of other 30-somethings, activities like going to breweries are quite common.
But what is it I value about those activities? Is it trying new beer?
No.
While that can be mildly enjoyable, what I value is spending time with my friends. That’s it.
If I keep that in mind, I think I can focus a lot more on what’s important and simply enjoy that.
But also knowing that the brewery part of things simply isn’t important to me, I can suggest other social activities that I do find more rewarding.
Going on hikes, kayaking, and doing other outdoor group activities have always been great experiences for me, and I should continue to try to emphasize those and try to plan plenty of events to do those things with my friends.
As I’m writing this, I can’t help but feel like everything I’m saying is common sense and it should always be in the back of everyone’s mind at all times.
But I’m not sure that it actually is.
In this case, I think it’s far better to state these things explicitly and make a conscious effort to determine what’s important and then focus on that.