What do you want to be when you grow up?
We ask kids that question all the time, but what about us?
Don’t we ALL have dreams for when we “grow up”?
- What we want to do with our time
- What we want to be good at
- What kind of person we want to be
Look no further than your daily planner, your to-do list, or how you spend your time every day and you will find the answer to the question of what you will become. The answer, however, may not be what you WANT to become.
Because the simple truth is…
HOW YOU SPEND YOUR TIME = WHAT YOU WILL BECOME
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately because, right now, it looks like I may grow up to be a car. And, I don’t want to be a car. I KNOW what I want to be, but my daily agenda doesn’t always align with that.
Why don’t we ask kids (and ourselves) the follow-up question?
What are you doing right now to reach that goal?
More specifically,
- How are you learning about what you want to be?
- How are you practicing the skills you’ll need for what you want to be?
- If you want to be a fire fighter, what are you learning about or practicing?
- If you want to dance, what are you learning about or practicing?
- If you want to be healthy, what are you learning about or practicing?
But when? I haven’t quite figured out how to ditch my mom-taxi job, or any of my other responsibilities for that matter. What I can do, however, is be selective about how I spend the remaining time I have.
I know, I know. WHAT remaining time?! Would you believe me if I told you that you’ll find it if you look hard enough? Here are a couple of spots it may be hiding.
HAVE TO’S: Is there anything on your to-do list that you don’t really have to do? Is there anything that someone else can do instead of you? Sometimes all it takes is a little creative thinking to make some of those “responsibilities” disappear. Even mom-taxi trips can be crossed off with carpooling, bike-riding, taking a bus, or even a simple “no” (gasp!).
SWAP OUTS: Where is time being “wasted”? Leisure activities are a good place to start. After all, what do I want to get “really good” at? Speaking another language or watching Netflix? In the same time it takes me to check Facebook, I can take a handful of golf swings, meditate, or read a relevant article. Where can you swap out an activity that isn’t furthering your dreams with one that is?
DOUBLE DUTIES: Where can you combine two activities so that you can bring a little enrichment to a task that doesn’t require a lot of focus? Listening to an audiobook while cooking dinner, practicing a speech while driving, writing a blog while exercising…
And after you find all of this time you didn’t think you had,
LEARN and PRACTICE
LEARN and PRACTICE
LEARN and PRACTICE
… and grow up to be exactly what you want to become!