This article is part of my series, Recollections from 22 Years as a Father
“The most important person in the whole, wide, world is you and you hardly even know you.” This song played on a kids show I watched when I was growing up. As I write this article, I realize they were right. A lot of things will come and go: jobs, friends, houses, cars, and family, to name a few. But, as long as you are living, you always have yourself.
For this reason, you owe it to yourself to figure you out. You spend time and attention on everything else, yet you leave little time to reflect on your own importance and what you want out of your life. It’s critical for you to save time for yourself. You cannot be the best version of yourself without focusing on what is important and working on those areas to get the most out of life. Not only will it benefit your life, but it will also benefit everyone around you.
Contemplate the Following
- What do you love to do? List things you feel truly passionate about.
- What are you doing when you feel most satisfied?
- What things don’t you enjoy? It doesn’t matter if you are good or bad at them.
- What activities do you engage in where you get lost in time and could do for countless hours?
- What do you do when you are bored to entertain yourself? The key part is to “entertain yourself”, not to “be entertained”. That’s a huge difference.
- What ideas and values are really important to you?
No one else has as much invested in the answers to these questions as you. In a couple of words, summarize what you want to hold on to and stand for, no matter what. Once you crystallize these ideas into the things you truly care about, use them daily as fuel to meet your life’s goals. This fuel is the essence to put into your mind, spirit, and body to get the most out of life. You need to burn this fuel daily and replenish it often. Do it for you!
Acknowledgment is Step #1
Realizing you are the most important person in the world to you paves the way for being satisfied with life. We cannot find satisfaction through others, by holding a job, or being entertained through the media. True satisfaction comes from within and you are responsible for finding it and holding on to it.
It took me a while to realize this situation and correct it. Up to that point, I had spent a great deal of time worried about other things and other people. I allocated very little time for my self and my endeavors. Let me tell you, it would have been easier to never fall into that hole than to take the effort to dig out of it. Thankfully, the effort did teach me something. It taught me to focus on consistently making time to invest in my body, mind, and spirit.
Make time to care for yourself in Body, Mind, and Spirit
Get Your Body Moving
Being able to move and being well are important to you and to everyone who counts on you. Numerous studies have found tremendous benefits simply by staying active and fit. Here’s an example of one such study. I also wrote an article about the total body benefits by uniting mental and physical challenges into your daily routine.
The health benefits are clear but finding the time is challenging, right? You have a family, kids, a job, blah, blah, blah. I get it. I ran and biked a ton after I graduated from college and began my working career. However, once I started settling down, I let my workouts really slow down. I regret allowing that to happen. I didn’t have time for 3-hour bike rides, but I did have time for something. Instead of cutting back, I cut it out. Maybe you can empathize.
It took a while but I arrived at a point where I realized I needed the physical release and to pay attention to my body. If I wanted it badly enough, I could find the time and place to squeeze it in. Cutting out the exercise was an excuse and I needed to turn that around. Thankfully, once I changed my mindset, finding the time wasn’t too challenging.
We’re Moving, We’re Moving
More movement can be done with subtle changes. Here are some creative ways to get more exercise when you have a busy schedule:
- Park farther away instead of the closest spot
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator
- Meet a friend for a coffee walk instead of sitting down
- Wash your car by hand instead of taking it to the drive-thru
- Get up early and do calisthenics or stretching for 10 minutes
- Read a book or make a phone call on a treadmill
- Go for a run after you put the kids to bed
Get moving, ramp up your heart rate, and engage your brain in your activities. Your body will feel better and stronger and your self-confidence and satisfaction will get a boost as well. Getting moving and staying in motion will significantly decrease your risk of an early death. Don’t you want to stick around and see how things turn out for your kids and your family?
Mind Your Own Business
OK, so you have your body moving, but what about your mind. Your mind creates your individuality. There are things that make you tick, excite you, and give you the
As I discussed in Program Your Bio-Computer, your mind is the software of your body driving all of the functions you perform. That software requires constant learning and upgrades which you need to seek out and engage in. Part of this learning involves experimentation with new concepts, variables, inputs, and outputs. Do you know what is a good way to experiment? Indulging your passions into a hobby that drives experimentation, pride, workmanship, and more.
Everyone has a passion for creating something with your hands. You may just have to look for it. Whether it be cooking, crocheting, brewing beer, working on cars, farming, or making soap. All hobbies provide countless opportunities to plan, create, problem-solve, fail, succeed, and share your creations with other like-minded people.
Constantly focusing your time on things other people enjoy does not provide the balance your mind craves. Find time to indulge your mind with passions that really get it stirring. My passions for urban homesteading hobbies, like making vinegar, soap, and kombucha, have created new connections which have been a blessing to my life. I would have missed out greatly had I not decided to pursue these endeavors.
Follow Your (the) Spirit
Your spirit connects you to all of the people, the creatures, and the forces in our universe. We are all part of one big, interconnected design. It’s not random. It takes time, introspection, and meditation to reveal the connections and be in tune with them. When I take the time and devote myself to reading and prayer, I can really tell the difference in my outlook and optimism.
Unfortunately, I often let distractions get in the way of daily devotions and allowing for time to think and reflect. These important activities do not often yield tangible results, so it is easy to put them off. However, the results they do create put our lives into perspective with the big picture.
Going to the gym and not seeing results is hard on the psyche. Praying for insight and discernment without receiving is even more difficult. Yet, I believe we all are endowed with a spirit to create a difference in our world. We must dedicate time to this important aspect of our lives.
Find Your Spirit
Finding your spirit takes time. We have already talked about how difficult it is to find the time to work out your body then your mind, how will you have time for this? It’s going to be challenging, but it’s worth it if you can do it. Do y
I know a girl whose workday starts at 7:00 AM. Her commute takes 15 minutes. She could get up at 6 AM, jump in the shower, get dressed, grab a breakfast bar, and head out the door to make it on time to work.
Instead, her alarm rings at 4:45 AM. She begins her day with a time of devotion and quiet, thinking about her day. She follows up by making a nutritious breakfast and sitting down to calmly enjoy it. Then, she heads out the door and arrives at work by 6:15 AM with an extra 45 minutes to prepare for the day and have everything organized. I know this calms the stress and yields positive results for her and everyone surrounding her.
I am inspired by the dedication and discipline shown by this girl, who happens to be my daughter and a school teacher. She gets her body, mind, and spirit prepared each day so that she can give her best to her students. She doesn’t have 27 hours in a day. Instead, she prioritizes her time to allow herself to be the best she can be.
Make the Time
You can do it! You have the time available and your life is defined by how you use that time. It’s important to take care of yourself and no one else is going to do it for you. Remember, the most important person in the world is you. Treat yourself that way and everyone around you will benefit.
Find time each and every day to take care of your fitness, engage your mind, and connect your spirit toward serving those around you. It doesn’t have to be arduous. You can turn it into an experience that engages all of your senses into a new, fresh opportunity for you to enjoy life. Take time for yourself and you will be rewarded.
One last thing: Surround yourself with people pushing you to be the most you can be while also pulling you into the relationships that matter the most. Supportive people around you will help you get the most out of yourself and your life.