The next step for me is to be more discerning with "spending" of time and attention. See, it's not really free, which is why the language uses a lot of money words around it. We "pay" attention and know that "time is money".
Ideally, I'd like to walk the fine line between strict budgeting and free spending. I think I'm pretty good at this with music. I don't try to shut myself out of any type of music, but I also try to avoid music I already know I don't like. And say I hear a super-catchy pop song, when I generally try to avoid pop. I just give in and enjoy it.
But where the money / attention analogy falls apart is that you can't really use up all the attention. There's more available, well, continuously. This is why I don't want to be stingy. Just a little more discerning, I suppose.
Maybe it's more like dieting. If you've "spent" your time / attention on something unworthy, you will end up _______________. The words that fill that blank are the most terrifying attributes - stupid, alone, fat, lame, boring. When I try to modify the tragedy and fill in the blank with less dire outcomes, I can't think of any. Empty is just as scary as stupid. Isolated is not much better than alone. Bloated is the worst part of fat?
So, yes, it's important to use your attention wisely. It makes your whole world. This is why there must be no more candy-crushing phone games, the Real Housewives must be evicted from my house, the trashy magazines must go.
But back to the dieting analogy again - is it so bad to enjoy a bit of candy on rare occasion? No. It's not. Put the whips away and stop flogging yourself. Maybe you can be focused in one arena, moderate in others, and not care about one at all.
So, it's almost July - is this the project? Spend your time wisely? Okay. Let's do it.
Focus on: media
Moderate on: home and housework
Let it take care of itself: social life
I'm going to have to think about what this means in action. Let me know if you've had any success in this type of endeavor.
Ideally, I'd like to walk the fine line between strict budgeting and free spending. I think I'm pretty good at this with music. I don't try to shut myself out of any type of music, but I also try to avoid music I already know I don't like. And say I hear a super-catchy pop song, when I generally try to avoid pop. I just give in and enjoy it.
But where the money / attention analogy falls apart is that you can't really use up all the attention. There's more available, well, continuously. This is why I don't want to be stingy. Just a little more discerning, I suppose.
Maybe it's more like dieting. If you've "spent" your time / attention on something unworthy, you will end up _______________. The words that fill that blank are the most terrifying attributes - stupid, alone, fat, lame, boring. When I try to modify the tragedy and fill in the blank with less dire outcomes, I can't think of any. Empty is just as scary as stupid. Isolated is not much better than alone. Bloated is the worst part of fat?
So, yes, it's important to use your attention wisely. It makes your whole world. This is why there must be no more candy-crushing phone games, the Real Housewives must be evicted from my house, the trashy magazines must go.
But back to the dieting analogy again - is it so bad to enjoy a bit of candy on rare occasion? No. It's not. Put the whips away and stop flogging yourself. Maybe you can be focused in one arena, moderate in others, and not care about one at all.
So, it's almost July - is this the project? Spend your time wisely? Okay. Let's do it.
Focus on: media
Moderate on: home and housework
Let it take care of itself: social life
I'm going to have to think about what this means in action. Let me know if you've had any success in this type of endeavor.
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