As I start on this new venture (or, perhaps I should say “adventure!”), my goals ultimately all share the common thread of TIME, our most undervalued, wasted and threatened resource…If you think about it, I bet your goals do, too…
I expect that many would agree with the following goal: To live a life that you enjoy and can feel good about, as you are living it, as you reflect on your past, and as you plan for your future and the future of your children.
Okay. What does that have to do with time? Only everything! Indeed, our time, and how we choose to spend it, is really what life is all about. To quote Pulitzer-prize-winning author Annie Dillard, “How we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives.” In fact, the importance of TIME, and the basic truth that the we have CHOICES when it comes to spending that time, has inspired the name of my mission-driven business (Cue the drum roll)…: Time Well Spent.
To the above generic common goal statement, I am quick to add the following five words “and society and the environment.” Why? Let’s face it. Not everyone is “into” nature, not everyone feels able to make a difference in “society,” with the exception of doing our best to raise well-behaved children. The truth is that, as stewards to our own children, so are we stewards ~ both socially and environmentally ~ to this world, caring for it and sustaining it on behalf of the future generations, our children and our grandchildren. Just making sure things are going well within the four walls of our own home isn’t enough.
I don’t make this statement without considerable thought. Here in New England, we generally try to respect one another’s right to their own opinion and personal choices about daily living… Still, I would argue that, even those whose time seems to be fully occupied with the raising of and caring for their own family need to realize that how they choose to spend their time does have an impact on society and the environment. Rather than ignoring that fact, let’s embrace it with all the opportunity to be a positive change agent with regard to our impact on society and the environment. Attaining the goal of living a life that we can enjoy and feel good about, with the intention of planning the best for our future and the future of our children, really does require a more purposeful approach to how we manage our time…the minutes and hours, mornings and afternoons, the days and weeks, even the evenings and weekends…
Unfortunately, changing how we manage and spend our time is easier said than done. During this era that seems to be moving toward world-changing megatrends, many seek to live their most authentic life, one of “mindful awareness” and “purposeful intent.” Consequently, there are so many growing trends that are worth exploring…So many opportunities to make a difference within our own family as well as throughout the community… But, where does one find the time to learn more about just what is out there? Ultimately, we can, we will, we must all have a little better handle on our time, minimizing wasted time and choosing how to spend our time in ways that we find meaningful. Yet, the whirlwind of information and choices we face each day can be, to say the least, overwhelming, adding to our stress, rather than alleviating it.
That’s where my new concept comes in… My purpose will be to help you use your time wisely, doing the research, providing information and opportunities, as well as products and services, in a way that is convenient and accessible, welcoming and inspiring, while always respecting the limited time we have. These decisions about how we spend our time will affect how we spend our money, our energy, our resources…
Whether you start with baby steps or embrace change enthusiastically, Time Well Spent will welcome you with guilt-free, time-saving, cost-saving, environment-saving, and (ready for a little drama here?) even life-saving tips and choices for making the most of your days and, consequently, your life and your time.
Time Well Spent … I think it has a nice ring to it! What’s more, it pretty much says it all ~ vision, mission, objectives ~ all rolled up into three little words…It really is going to be, literally and figuratively, time well spent… I look forward to sharing the adventure… In the meantime, here’s to Time Well Spent! N.
Nancy Gallant's Blog ~ Time Well Spent 