6 Things We Should Stop Wasting Our Time and Energy On Before It’s Too Late

Note: This article is taken from Angel Chernoff's blog, where she talks about 6 mistakes we make that often lead to wasting a lot of our time and energy.

Although everything she went through was painful and inspiring at the same time, what prompted me to reflect was this line of her message: “The happiest moments of my life were when I remembered, while under the wrecked car, that my husband and my 9-year-old son were not with me during the accident and were unharmed.”

Such terrifying incidents force us to remember what is truly important in our lives. For this woman, that important thing was her family - her husband and son. She continues in her message to discuss how this accident changed their family dynamic, as they began to share daily stories, tell each other jokes, and feel grateful for having each other.

“After the accident, we realized how much time and energy we had wasted on unimportant things, which prevented us from enjoying time together and making tangible progress in our lives,” this woman says. “We are truly grateful that it’s not too late to make up for these things,” she continues.

Upon hearing this story, the obvious question that crosses anyone's mind is: "What should I do to avoid wasting my time and energy on unimportant things?"

Answering this question requires listing the things that we prioritize more than they deserve at the expense of truly important things in life.

6 Things We Should Stop Wasting Our Time and Energy On

1. Expectations That Prevent Us from Appreciating People

Truly care about the little details that others add to your life, as these are the things you will miss when you lose that person someday. These details include spending quality time together and feeling gratitude for each other's presence in your lives.

Honestly, I paid a heavy price to learn this lesson, and it still reminds me of the importance of appreciating the blessing of having others in our lives, even after 25 years have passed since it happened. Here’s what happened:

My maternal grandfather gifted me 4 shirts he no longer needed for my 18th birthday. The shirts looked to be in perfect condition and didn’t appear to be used at all. He told me he chose them as a gift because he thought they suited me.

However, I didn’t like the gift, so I didn’t feel grateful to my grandfather. I pretended to smile, didn't sincerely thank him, and then began looking over the other presents. Two days later, my grandfather suddenly died of a heart attack.

The last things he gave me were those shirts I didn't like, and the last thing I did for him was give him a fake smile.

Even after all these years, I still regret not giving him my genuine gratitude. Avoid making this mistake and instead express gratitude for the presence of your loved ones in your life and for all of their efforts, no matter how small they seem, to make you happy.

2. Ungratefulness

We mistakenly believe that we become happier the more we acquire everything. However, the truth is that we need to be grateful more than anything else. We often underestimate the importance of things that deserve thanks and appreciation, viewing them as simple.

So, be grateful for everything you have in your life, including your job, home, family, health, and comforts. Don't take anything for granted, as there is no guarantee that it will last, no matter how simple it seems.

Also, remember that feeling gratitude requires focusing on the present and giving it all your attention.

You cannot appreciate your life if you ignore its details. Therefore, cultivate an appreciation for all that you currently have in life, engage in your daily activities joyfully, love what you do until you can do what you love, and cherish your current reality until you can change it.

Love the people around you until you are blessed with those you love and who love you back. It requires adopting a present-oriented mindset and feeling grateful for it, which means:

• Focusing on the present without wishing you lived in a different reality.
• Savoring each delightful moment without concern for its conclusion (because it must end).
• Dealing with any painful experience without worrying that it will last an eternity (this is also impossible).

3. Continuous Weak Excuses

Doubting your skills is one of the most destructive things you can experience. Unfortunately, many people make excuses like they're not skilled enough, they missed their opportunity to succeed, or it's too hard for them to accomplish when they witness others succeeding and think they are incapable of accomplishing anything themselves.

In summary, this mentality entails trying to make excuses to justify not even trying. For example, you could tell yourself:

• Maybe X succeeded as an entrepreneur because they didn’t have children, allowing them to develop their side project.
• Maybe Y is fitter than me because they don't have to worry about the same work- and family-related obligations as I do, or maybe it’s because they have a supportive partner, or they haven’t suffered an injury like I did.

It’s easy to find excuses, but have you considered comparing yourself to people who faced actual difficulties yet succeeded despite them? My husband Marc and I have faced several painful incidents in our lives, yet we succeeded.

We were able to leverage these challenges to our advantage, as we know hundreds of people who have done the same. Over 15 years in the coaching field, we’ve seen many clients find meaning in their lives and success at various ages.

There are numerous stories of people with disabilities or chronic illnesses who bravely overcame these difficulties and achieved remarkable successes.

Some examples include people approaching their fifth decade of life successfully establishing families on firm foundations, people who are 57 years old earning college degrees, and people over 70 years old starting successful businesses.

You are the only one responsible for your life; no one else can make it successful on your behalf. Success is always attainable; all you have to do is decide what you want to do. All it takes to always accomplish your goals is perseverance and an optimistic outlook.

4. Compulsive Business

It’s critical to always remember that there is a significant difference between being busy and being productive in your daily life. Senseless busyness just leads to burnout and no results. Therefore, dedicate time each day to considering how effective your work is.

Allocate short periods during your daily routine to check if you are staying on track, and maintain a feedback loop that ensures your daily activities align with your priorities so that you are not aimlessly busy.

Over the past twenty years, Marc and I have gradually come to appreciate the beauty and useful advantages of leading a simple life.

This simplicity involves freeing life from most pointless activities people engage in just to fill their time, allowing us to focus on things that add meaning to our lives.

Living this way will release you from worry, anxiety, and constant frantic striving, allowing you to lead a life of introspection, creativity, positive interpersonal interactions, and purposeful projects.

5. Senseless consumerism

Strive to enrich your life with experiences rather than with goods and useless items. We all know deep down that what creates a happy life are meaningful work, fulfilling experiences, and good relationships—not the accumulation of goods and things.

Yet, we live in a society obsessed with consumption, targeted daily by advertisements and clever marketing tricks that push us to waste a lot of time searching for and buying items we don’t need or perhaps don’t even want, despite knowing this behavior is wrong.

The irony is that excessive consumption eventually undermines the emotional needs that marketers claim to satisfy.

Therefore, ask yourself every time you consider buying something whether you truly need it or if you’ve just fallen for a sales ploy that says you need this product to improve your life. Control yourself and avoid wasting time and money on useless things.

6. Constant Hesitation When Expressing Love

About 15 years ago, my colleague passed away in a car accident on his way to work. Many of his coworkers cried at his funeral, recalling many of his virtues, saying things like, "We loved him so much. He was truly a wonderful person."

I began to cry as well, wondering if these people had told him they loved him when he was still alive or if his passing was the catalyst for them to say it without hesitation or consideration.

Ever since that incident, I've vowed never to hesitate to express my love for others and constantly remind them how grateful I am to have them in my life.

Your loved ones deserve to know how much they mean to you and how much you appreciate, respect, and love them. They should also know that they help to make your life meaningful.

In Conclusion

The main takeaway from these lessons is that we waste a lot of time before doing what is right and showing our loved ones how much we care.

Maybe this is because we believe that we still have plenty of time ahead. However, nothing guarantees that. It can suddenly be too late without warning.

So, why not spare yourself the regret and start leading a purposeful life filled with love and constructive communication with others right now?