“It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it.”

Seneca

December 31st is one of my favorite days of the year. I love setting aside time to reflect on the year that is almost over, assess what I want to improve upon or achieve in the coming year and pause to appreciate all the good things that have happened over the previous 364 days.

If I am being honest, one of the things I typically review with some regret is how much time was “wasted” over the year. I remember the moments that created a positive memory for myself or others with joy and fondness. The time I spent doing things that didn’t add value to the lives of those I care about and serve never makes my list because it is GONE and has zero return on the investment. 

Truthfully, wasted time has a negative return on investment; it is a lost asset that can’t be retrieved in any possible way. So there is an opportunity cost for the wasted time that, unfortunately, is far too easy to ignore or rationalize away. But it is always there.  

So my challenge for this new year is to be even more intentional in spending my time and waste less. I will be focused on improving the daily, weekly, and monthly investments of precious time so that next December 31st, I have even more to be grateful for during my reflection period. 

2022 is going to be a fantastic year; 2021 certainly was.