Step Back to Step Forward: The Importance of Reflecting on How We Spend Our Time

Day in and day out, we run feverishly like hamsters on a wheel – busy, busy, busy without getting anywhere meaningful. We churn through email inboxes overflowing with messages that pull our attention in countless directions. We rush between back-to-back meetings, never catching our breath long enough to seriously question if all this busyness is necessary or beneficial. We plow through long to-do lists, tickets and kanbans crammed with obligations as if crossing off more items will somehow lead to happiness or fulfillment.

The truth is, few of us step back to thoughtfully examine whether our daily activities actually serve our longer-term aspirations or values. We fail to evaluate whether we even want all the things we exhaust ourselves chasing. We assume being crazy busy means we’re living life to the fullest, while any space to relax or reflect feels almost lazy.

What If?

But what if we’re getting it all wrong?

What if pausing to seriously assess how you spend your precious time and mental energy is the wisest and most essential habit for building a life you love? One aligned with your true priorities rather than society’s flawed assumptions?

Regularly taking this pause offers three key advantages:

1. It tunes you into your inner wisdom. Slowing down to question how you occupy each day invites clarity about what matters most. What activities fuel you with joy and meaning? Which drain you? Tapping into this awareness guides better decisions.
2. It reveals gaps between your values and actions. Do you value family, but work too much to connect? Do you desire creativity, but don’t nurture it? Examining misalignments sparks ideas for change.
3. It uncovers possibilities previously unseen. When we step off the hamster wheel, we open our eyes to new horizons by asking, “How else could I spend my time?” New passionate pursuits often reveal themselves.

Curating a Life

This self-reflection isn’t about harsh self-judgment – that only fuels toxic perfectionism. It’s about curating a life that honours your unique needs and dreams. One that feels purposeful because how you spend each hour aligns with who you are at the core.

So in our culture drunk on busyness and speed, you might choose to be a positive disruptor. Challenge those assumptions that drive your days – assumptions that no longer serve you or society. Commit with courage to periodic reflection that guides your path to more meaningful horizons. Simply put, step off the hamster wheel to thoughtfully decide where you truly wish to go.

The key is starting. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and ask yourself: “If how I’m spending my time isn’t serving me, how do I want it to be different moving forward?” Listen deeply. The answers that surface may surprise you.