Where Your Time is Spent, Therein Lies Your Legacy

A couple of days ago I was looking for an item on my phone that I had previously saved and then deleted because I decided that I didn’t need it. I looked with different terms and in multiple apps, for around a couple of hours total. Something came over and me and helped me realize that it was okay that I had not found it; I had to move on. It had been enough time. I have previously reflected on how much time I spend in front of a screen. I have an office job, and I use my phone and TV for communication and entertainment. I use a screen most of my awake time. Outside of my day job, there are multiple reasons for it:

• I text to keep in contact with friends and family.
• I like to shop and browse.
• Any bills and even groceries that I need to pick up, are done online.
• I use an app for budgeting.
• I use an app for our grocery list.
• We use our streaming services as a family, as a couple and individually.

That’s a lot of screen time. Besides those obvious reasons, our regular weather is really hot and humid, and the un-enclosed portions of our home are not very protective from the heat. Our schedule makes it hard to go out and currently the whole world is staying put at home to reduce the exposure to COVID.

One night I thought that if I used all of my recreational screen time towards learning something, I would be a pro at it. You see, what you invest your time in is where your expertise will be in. The problem is that the majority of what I am consuming is not truly instructional. There are elements of distraction and relaxation, but outside of that, there is not a lot of added value. I do listen to books and watch documentaries, but that is just a small portion of the dedicated screen time. I then have nothing to show for my time investment but a large closet and some pop-culture knowledge.

How can so many hours go down the drain? Will this dedication of mine be my most-reknown legacy? It’s like leaving beenie babies in a will: there is only sentimental value to them. I do also recognize that I don’t have a lot of freedom to go whenever to my computer and write, or learn a new hobby. I am a caretaker for a little person and by nature she requires and I want to give her my attention. Here is where the screens can help me stay entertained when she is solo-playing and allow me to watch her. What about the other times?

All I have to say is that I am working on it. I have a book that is sectioned into questions that I can read while being repeatedly interrupted. I am being more strict about using my computer or phone close to bedtime, because I have had occasions when I remain wired after shutting off and couldn’t fall asleep. I am also making a more concerted effort to invest in my dreams. Like I have expressed before, quick entertainment is not as fulfilling now that I have had a lot of time to delve into it. I have acquired a momentum to work harder towards those things that I want to accomplish and that will bring me closer to myself.

Now it is your turn to think of what legacy you are striving towards. A small change in your day can bring you closer to what you have been desiring all along. Big changes stick around when they are comprised of small ones. Put your time where your heart truly is. The investment will be worthwhile and the legacy priceless.