Life by Choice

Time and Energy - 23.04.10

It always seems to be in short supply, running out, wasted. These characteristics of time also apply to another very valuable commodity (to me even more so), energy. One of the most prevalent opinions about time is summed up well by this commonly believed phrase. Life is short. While I agree that time appears to be limited with death’s apparent imminence, life is only “short” for those who do not realize their dreams. What many don’t realize is that time is secondary to energy.

Charlie Gilkey helped me come across this major idea. Everyone is unique and has their own levels of energy throughout the day. There are certain hours when they are simply more productive than others, and those who understand their personal energy schedules are much more likely to be successful in terms of productive output. For myself, I enjoy getting work done (i.e writing) during the hours that most people are asleep. The quiet hours from 2am-7am is a wonderfully creative period for me. The traditional work schedule 9-to-5 is excellent for those who work well during those hours, but from my experience those hours don’t apply to a majority of people in general.

The easiest way to experience the lesson of Energy Management is by simplifying your schedule of things that constantly drain you. When one takes the leap and breaks out of the 9-to-5 schedule, or in my case abruptly cease poor education, that is when they realize how much of their time, energy and creativity were sapped as an opportunity cost of what they are currently doing. Those 3 critical resources are being tied up in order to live by default. We want to live by choice.

For those of you who wish they had more time, take a moment to think of all the things you currently are able to accomplish with your crippled resources (time, energy, creativity). Now think about what you could accomplish if you had full access to them. A bit exhilarating, isn’t it? Now, I realize that people have obligations though; bills to pay, mouths to feed, mortgages, and the rest and they cannot simply drop their jobs on the fly, but this is by no means an excuse to not live out your dreams. Take Thomas Hawk and his Quest for 1 Million Photos. Thomas is an excellent example of someone who creatively makes use of “pockets of time” in order to sustain both of his life and his passion, kudos to this remarkable man and photographer.

Let me know what you could do with full access to your time, energy, and creativity.