For the past four months, I have been slow-traveling around Australia with minimal responsibilities. This prolonged hiatus has allowed me to engage in deep self-reflection and understand my values, motives, and passions.
For thousands of years, as populations grew exponentially, the need for societal structure became increasingly crucial to maintain order. This need for structure has compounded throughout the digital age with the help of technology and globalization.
Now, in today’s society, nearly everything must adhere to some predetermined time structure or deadline. – Pay your bills on the first of the month. – Finish that work assignment by the end of the day. – Don’t take more than 30 minutes for your lunch break.
I first started to make real progress when I closely analyzed what my goals and values were. If I didn’t finish (insert random task here), what would the consequences be? Often times I found that these “essential” tasks weren’t that imperative at all!
However, this was extremely unhealthy for my time management, focus, and relationships. My phone would constantly distract me from the task at hand and certainly make me less present while hanging out with my girlfriend, family, and friends.