As I think about the past year and the start of the next, I realize how quickly time passes. Aside from love, it is the one thing money can never buy… at least not yet 😉. So these days, I spend a lot of time thinking about things that are priceless. I care about building relationships and spending time with people. That means making time for family and those that have become my family. It also means potentially forging new ones, especially ones that color my life in what would otherwise be black, gray, and blue (the color of 90% of my wardrobe.) I also care about using my time most effectively and maximizing the little that I have. While never procrastinating seems impossible, I hope to fill my life with enough things I enjoy doing that I never feel like I need to procrastinate. 

While I recognize a year is in many ways an arbitrary boundary for time, my technical mind hopes to use it as a window to reflect and gather feedback. It is short enough that you can’t achieve too many large projects but long enough that you can achieve at least one. It also helps to have others naturally recognizing this boundary. 2016 for me personally produced some fond memories of traveling. It was the year I decided just to go. I got tired of syncing vacation schedules and giving excuses. I’d like to see the world and so I’d better start now. March: Barbados with my sister, May: Zion and Bryce with the girls, September: Italy (Venice and Finale Ligure) on my own where I met some kickass people, November: London and Iceland on my own where I reconnected with some old friends and made a new one. 

2016 also had many heartbreaking moments around the world. Mine ended with my first serious injury. As much as I wish a new year really means that everything can be different, the problems that plagued 2016 still exist and they don’t just go away. My recovery won’t be easy. It’ll take time and work, much like other problems, bigger ones and I can only hope that we never give up. 

Here’s to a great year. Let’s make it one! 

Cheers,

Regina

After a long hiatus and the sad realization that I’m often over ambitious with my goals, I’ve come back to this blog with what I hope to be a sustained renewed energy. I’m interested to see how I’ve matured in two years and will mature thereafter. Am I fine wine, or still just fermented grape juice? (My future self will most likely be embarrassed by that line but the today me thinks it’s brilliant.)

A lot has changed in two years. November 2014 was when I first put in an offer to the place I’m living now. I didn’t close until May and renovations lasted until the end of July. Psychologically, buying a place attaches you to a physical location. You spend so much money just to call a place a home that you feel invested. Don’t get me wrong, I still love traveling but fall last year was the first year I ever felt a tinge of longing for home or moreover just my own bed.

For 2016, I hope to have learned my limits. I can’t do it all but I hope to choose the right things. How will I spend my time?

To answer this, I took a look at how I spend my time today.

There are 168 hours per week.
52.5 Hrs of Sleep (7.5 Hrs/day * 7)
48 Hrs at Work
16 Hrs 50 Mins of Commute (1 1/3 Hrs each way on wkdays + 1.5Hrs commuting Saturday for various Saturday plans + 2 Hrs commuting to church/climbing on Sunday)
11 Hrs of Eating/Meals (1 Hr of eating/wkday * 5 + 2 Hrs from 1 meal out with friend(s)/wk + 2 Hrs @ church dinner)
11 Hrs of Exercise (2.5 Hrs *2 wkday climbing sessions + 4 Hr wknd session + 2 Hrs cross-training)
7 Hrs of Hygiene/Personal Care (1 Hr/day)
6 Hrs @ Church/Fellowship (service + small group)
5 Hrs of Cooking/Chores (includes cleaning and laundry)
Remainder “free time” : ~10 Hrs 40 Mins

The sad reality is that there’s only about 10 hrs a week I really have to devote to learning, to hobbies, and other time-suckers like Facebook and Netflix. When you put that into perspective, it’s no wonder that we tend to deprioritize sleep. We’ll work through meals. We’ll order take-out. We’ll skip today’s run and think we’ll do it tomorrow, only to repeat the same excuse.

The other reality is that our time on earth is limited. Time is valuable. How do you want to spend your life? And how can you do it without sacrificing your health? What should the percentages above be? How much of your time do you choose to devote to relationships that matter?

Just food for thought for now 🙂  App to come later (…maybe). And if you haven’t read the Wait but Why version of perspective on time, go read now: The Tail End.

PS — So what your verdict for me? Fermented grape juice? Probs. I still have much to learn.