The Difference in Wasted and Spent Time

Twenty seven more days and the deadline for all you had resolved to accomplish will have come to a final loud crescendo celebrating the arrival of next year when we get to start all over.

So, if you think you can stuff it all in within those 27 days, go for it. Wisdom suggests, however, that some procrastination may be useful. Doing a thorough job is better than doing a shoddy job. Alexander Pope suggested that “procrastination is the thief of time.”
Maybe so, Alex, but delay often has its merits for those who are into thinking about it awhile.

A hot cup of coffee, early in the morning, in a comfortable chair allows the opportunity to cogitate the particular activity demanding attention. Sometimes, for those of us with the luxury, cogitation is preferable to insinuation. For insinuating yourself into a task prematurely may end up being a waste of time. So, choose between thievery or wasting time and perhaps you may end up saving time.

The real joy of retirement is that the clock and calendar hold limited power over us. Of course, if you are of the obsessive-compulsive variety, the demand for accomplishment may outweigh all other considerations. For many in the retired category, the sheer joy of not having to hurry is among its greatest benefits. I recommend it. It is good for the blood pressure, for producing serenity of mind and heart and soul. Who can argue that that is not a healthy pursuit to follow? Just don’t do it!

When wasting time watching television, I find myself offended at the number of insistent messages seeking to provoke my acting on something right now! “Call now,” “but wait, if you call in the next millisecond, you will…” or the repetition of a number to immediately dial or “change your life” promise, etc. ad nauseam. Ignoring such, is a case when wasting time is better than spending time.

The difference between wasting and spending is a matter of choice. Wasting is probably the less preferable. Spending allows you to be in control of your choices for your use of time. My guess is the next 648 hours will be invested and wasted. Most of us aren’t 100%.