Is it worth your time and energy?

I’m a constant thinker. Sometimes I worry so much about things that have happened (endless role playing in my head about something I said to someone else) or worrying about something that’s about to happen (this can be as silly as the worry of a forthcoming meeting that I consider might take up too much of my day and I haven’t planned enough for). It can be relentless and quite frankly needless. Over-thinking and worry ultimately leads to stress and tension. In more serious cases, it can disturb sleep, interfere with problem solving and can increase the likelihood of mental illness.

By following my new-found wellbeing practises, I am slowly (and naturally) worrying less and by not over thinking so much, I am more present in each moment of my day. By investing my thoughts into what I am actually doing rather than multi-thinking about what has already happened or what is going to happen as well as what IS happening, I am calmer and happier. The mantra I follow more and more is: The present moment is all that really counts. The past is done, and the future is yet to come. Much better, therefore, to ground myself in what is happening right now. Be present. Invest in the present. Live for the present.

I read a book a couple of years ago: The life-changing magic of not giving a f**k by Sarah Knight. I have to acknowledge that much of the rewiring of my life started with this read. Easily confused with the notion that it encourages you to not care about anything, it begun my journey of focusing on what was worth my time and energy. When I read the book, I was stressed pretty much all the time. As a perfectionist; a trait I actually love about myself but sometimes I want to bash my head against a wall and banish perfectionism to eternal hell (it can be a tad frustrating), I used to try and do everything perfectly, and normally all at the same time. This funny and practical book helped me to understand that it is better for me to invest fully in one thing at a time and to be selective about what I invest in. By being selective in this way, I realised what I valued most in life and I began to cut out all the s**t that really didn’t matter to me. Result! Not only am I now more present by not worrying so much (please don’t get me wrong I still worry, but the most important part is that I worry less), I now also focus on what matters most to me. Invest more time and energy into what's worthwhile and the results will almost always be positive.

We all hear stories about people who come to the end of their lives and they realise what they care about most and what they wish they had invested more of their time in. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could invest in those things now?