Day 6:

It’s (All) About Time

Why, as a minimalist, did you clear out your home of all that extra stuff? Why are you living with less? Partly it’s to release yourself of the burden of possessions. And partly it’s to open up the time you have. Less time spent on acquiring and cleaning and maintaining possessions is more time you have to work towards what you want in life. To work towards your goal plan.

So minimalists not only have more time by default, because they have less stuff. They also use all that time more intentionally. There are many things we do, especially in this modern, connected, technologically advanced era that can easily take too much of our time.

Just as you went through your possessions and eliminated what was not necessary, today you’ll go through the things you do that could be pared down. Doing fewer habitual, time consuming activities will really open up your days to focus on what’s important.

Phone

Start with the thing you probably look at and interact with the most. Go through and clear out all the apps you don’t need, don’t use or don’t benefit you. See if you can get your apps down to one page. Here’s a place where purging can be ruthless. Unlike getting rid of items, when you delete apps you can (usually) get them back on your phone without buying them again. So go ahead. Get delete happy! If you don’t think you’re using something, or think it distracts you, delete it.

Try to make your phone a tool instead of a distraction.

Watching

Whether it’s cable TV or video streaming, how do you watch? Do you have a specific show or movie in mind before you turn on the screen? Do you watch because you want to? Or do you turn on the screen first, then sit and look for something to watch?

If you find you’re turning on your TV or your computer as a habit… Because it’s after work. Because it’s a Sunday. Because you’re tired. Because it’s there… Reconsider. Check in with your goal plan. Does watching TV for no reason help you get to that life goal you set way back on Day 1? Or could you use that time differently?

When you only watch or stream with a purpose, because there’s something you want to see, you can use the rest of your time intentionally enjoying life.

Social Networks

Facebook. Instagram. Twitter. It’s pretty much a known fact that many, many people spend far more time than they’d like on these sites. If you happen to be one of those people, now’s the time to apply your minimalist principles to how you engage in social sites.

If it’s mindlessly, compulsively and without intention, today’s the day that you alter course on that. There are waves of people who have deleted their Facebook accounts. And almost all of them feel better about themselves afterwards. And those that don’t, well, Facebook will always welcome you back.

While there’s no need to shut down your account, just remember to use social networking sites as a tool. Not as a habit.

The same idea goes for Internet use in general, as well as gaming. Use technology as a tool, not as a default setting in your daily life.  

Why? Because your time is more important than that. Remember what you want. Your goal. The ideal life that you’d like to have. The way your life could look if it could look like anything. Keep that in mind when you consider how best to spend your time.