I remember that one morning when I saw I wasted no time very clearly. It was almost aeons ago.
The alarm woke me up as usual at 5.30 in the morning. I was out of the front door in half an hour and at London Bridge at 6:35. Read my book on the tube. I was buzzed in, walked up the stairs to the last floor and went to change for my yoga practice. Opened the bag and there were no yoga clothes in there. Perplexed, I considered my options: I could’t do yoga in my jeans, no time to go home and come back with the clothes. What was left felt like a defeat – after all that effort to just arrive here I will have to go on with my day without a yoga practice.
Back on the tube I didn’t feel like opening the book again. I thought about what had just happened and felt frazzled. And then it hit me that this feeling of total overwhelm didn’t just fall upon me on that unfortunate morning. It was something I had been with for a while.
I always have so many projects going on. Always have my earplugs on, listening to podcasts and lectures or even just music. I read all the time while I commute, otherwise I consider it a waste of time.
Wasting time, that’s it! I hate waisting time! It has to be used efficiently and to the fullest.
I just sat there on the tube then, even allowed myself to close my eyes and block everything out.
Since that morning I recognise the signs that I need to slow down and make space for my brain to switch off much better. They are loud and clear: I start forgetting, misplacing and even losing things, make mistakes, become short tempered. I lose my attention and sharpness. And when I see these signs, I go for a plain old walk without any media, put up my feet and observe the trees in my back garden, cook in silence, lie in bed without the book, do a somatic yoga practice without thinking just following my body, go for a massage…
I allow myself to waste time and consider the time spent doing nothing (ok, ok, less at least :)) most precious. Do you?
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