Make it Count

The Nike 2012 campaign caught my eye as I passed the Waterloo IMAX.  It resonated somewhere deep within me and prompted me to enquire of myself, whether I make it count?

Life, I have been reminded by several significant happenings recently, truly is precious.  Time is apt to escape us, and with it our lives if we're not mindful.  This is it, there is no dress rehearsal.  As such, I feel as though I've been given a wake up call of giant proportions. 

I have for some time been interested in the way in which individuals manage their time.  For much of our early life, we have our days managed for us - our primary caregivers will tend to implement some sort of routine, creating a structure within which our waking hours are framed.  This continues at school.  The older we get, the more autonomy we have as to how we choose to spend our time, and it becomes a hallmark of our character, our values and our circumstances. 

I aspire towards working 'smart' - finding something of a balance in each and every day between the things I must attend to, and those moments that are mine for the taking, with which I can do exactly as I please.  Working for myself, as a consultant and in my private practice, certainly helps.  I have a degree of choice as to my working hours and patterns.  Most of the time it feels an enormous privilege, but that's not to say it's without challenges.  Time management is both an art and a science, and something I have yet to perfect.   

I seek to make it all count - the time I am working, and the time I am playing.  When working, I want to be there fully - present to whatever it is I am doing at the time.  This involves planning and commitment.  I know my limitations - I choose to work within them, which is better for me, and better for my clients.  Whilst some therapists can work back to back non stop all day, I choose to come up for air - taking time to consider the impact my work has on me, and gain clarity and perspective from the space I create for myself.  I expect my clients to work in their sessions, and must therefore meet them fully in the endeavour in order for there to be a true collaboration.  I find this makes the work so much more productive and rewarding.  

In order that the spaces in between count, I also plan.  For me, time without structure is wasted time, dead time.  That's not to say that I spend my entire week frenetically, but I do like to maintain a certain momentum, even when enjoying my down time.  In order for me to ensure I have quiet moments, they too have to be planned and catered for within my schedule.  By mapping my time in this way, I am able to really make it count, in a way that feels valuable to me.  

I have noticed that amongst my friends are fellow planners.  They too keep themselves busy, and have to-do lists.  There is, of course, a spectrum and fluctuation is both inevitable and healthy.  Whilst my working weeks (which generally span 5 or 6 days, but are not necessarily constrained within Monday-Friday) are pretty full with plans a week in advance, my days off entail a different planning strategy with enhanced fluidity - I have ideas of things I'd like to do, and tend to review them, playing things by ear, according to impulse, mood and energy levels.  Spontaneity is good, but having a Plan B works well too.  

Making it count applies for me at a micro level too, so that within whatever it is that I am doing, I fully immerse myself in order to really derive a sense of presence and achievement.  When I exercise, I seek to make it count.  I don't just pootle along, I give it my all.  As someone who attends group fitness classes, I tend to get into the studio a few minutes before the class starts, to arrive in the space, and mentally switch gears, in order that I give myself the best chance of the maximum workout.  When I swim, I tend to see how far I can push myself, always remaining open to another 100m.  As someone with a history of and relationship with depression, exercise is not optional: it's my equivalent to and substitute for medication.  I respect it as such.

Time spent with friends and family is time I want to make count as much as any other.  The handful of close friends I boast are each blessings in human form, and time spent in their company is precious.  I appreciate the love and support I receive from those I love, and wish to reciprocate fully.  As such, I would rather spend quality time together, than snatch a rushed phone call.  Today my connections go beyond the superficial.  I seek to celebrate and honour them, making them count.  

Do you enjoy your life to the max?  Do you make it count?  Looking back over the last week, and the last month, how do you feel about the choices you've made?  Have you spent time with those you care most about?  Have you pursued something about which you feel passionate?  Do you feel connected to your life purpose?  If not, what's stopping you?  Living the most fulfilling lives we are capable of doesn't, I believe, happen by accident.  Don't just do it.  Make it count.  Now's as good a time as any to take stock, and start leading your life the way you want to.