The older I get, the more time becomes important. (This leads to some interesting discussions with middle school students when I think they are wasting their time, but that’s another subject.) So I was intrigued by the article “The Biggest Wastes Of Time We Regret When We Get Older” by Kristin Wong (https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-biggest-wastes-of-time-we-regret-when-we-get-older?). It sounded like this was written for me.
The article makes only four points, but they are pretty significant —
Not Asking For Help — This point gives an example that ends with a harsh but effective quote: “You might feel dumb asking questions, but you look dumber when you don’t get it because you failed to ask.” Clear enough!
Trying to Make Bad Relationships Work — Good relationships can be very satisfying and require some work, but not all relationships are good, and not all the reasons for wanting a relationship to work are positive. When a relationship ends, confront the emotional impact and get over it.
Dwelling on Your Mistakes and Shortcomings — While it’s true that you learn more form your failures than your successes, dwelling on failure usually sets you up for more failure. Learn and move on.
Worrying Too Much About Other People — Don’t worry about what you can’t control. And don’t become sidetracked by jealously.
There are other ways to waste time (like reading too many articles about wasting time?), but if you can eliminate the biggest time traps, you’ll really be better off. Would this make a good New Year’s Resolution?