Time.
Time. I often wonder how it's possible for some minutes of the day to drag on for an eternity, yet an entire year can pass in the blink of an eye. For instance, when I'm doing planks and push-ups at night, the seconds seem to move at snail speed yet somehow, I'm turning 26 years old this month. 26! How can 26 years have possibly passed already?
I've been thinking about time an awful lot lately. I suppose that's fairly normal with any upcoming birthday, or maybe it's simply because I've read a few articles in reference to time. Either way, time is on my mind. What I find the most fascinating is that a single day in 2015 lasts just as long as a day in 1915, yet the way we fill-up that time has changed so drastically.
A particular article I read by Erin Loechner of the blog Design For Mankind really struck a cord with me. As an engineer, I have been taught to automate and make processes more efficient. The goal focusing on an increase in output at all times. Erin talks about the invention of dishwashers, laundry machines, and modern appliances as ways for women in the early 1900s to more efficiently manage household duties. These were excellent inventions generating an increase in productivity. Engineering at it's finest! It would seem that people should have suddenly had tons of time on their hands, right? Well I don't know about you, but I have several modern appliances in my house, but I have yet to find any of that "spare time" just lying around.
It feels as if the more I automate and streamline my own time, the more busy I become. A 15 minute time savings is suddenly filled with baking, or cleaning the bathroom, or catching up on emails, or, the greatest time-sucker of all, the INTERNET. When's the last time you waited for an appointment and didn't take out your phone to pass the time? I honestly can't remember. I'm not sure if it's a fear of missing out on something or if it is ingrained in me to be "productive" at all times. I can't even watch TV at night without also having a magazine in my lap, checking Instagram on my phone, and surfing Pinterest on my iPad. If I'm not doing SOMETHING, I must be wasting time, right? Heck, if I'm not doing at least two things at once, I must be having a really lazy day.
When I decided to start this blog, I did so to remind myself to enjoy the simple things in life. It was about minimizing. I was inspired by the blog Into Mind:
WHAT IS MINIMALISM?
The key idea of minimalism is this: Remove what isn't adding value to your life, to make room for stuff that is.
LESS
clutter, time commitments, negative thought patterns and toxic relationships
MORE
time, space and energy for things that really matter to you.
Time cannot be saved. You can't bottle it up, stash it away, and pull it out on a rainy day. It's happening now, so I'm going to do everything I can to enjoy it. I'm going to spend my time on activities that promise more of it. I'm going to put down my phone and close my computer. I'm going to turn off the TV. I'm going for a walk.