(Since later on I talk about wasting time, I decided not to waste a bunch of time looking for a picture of waste thus this post will be photo-less. You’re welcome.)
I hate waste.
I hate wasted water.
I hate wasted food.
I hate wasted clothes.
I hate wasted money.
I hate throwing stuff away.
I hate wasting gas driving for stuff.
I garden. I compost. I coupon. I walk for food. I wear hand me downs. I reduce. I reuse. I recycle. I budget. I give away. I start all over. I blog about it.
The Poorganic Life is basically a blog about minimizing waste so that you can maximize generosity, so back in May when I thought about The Summer of 7 Waste Challenge, I determined that instead of doing “Waste,” which I didn’t really deem an area of excess, I would focus on “Self,” which I seem to have in abundance.
It’s no secret that I have an excess of self and vanity.
But then I did the Summer of 7 No Media challenge, and things have just been all . . . . mucky . . . . in my heart since then. Because there was one thing I definitely learned from that little exercise:
I WASTE TIME.
I waste it all over the Internet and in between. And there’s something else . . .
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The other day I was at a church gathering and I was talking to a group of ladies. It was supposed to be a conversation, but I was kind of dominating. (SURPRISE!!) You know, because I’m the funniest, smartest, most engaging person ever. (Ickk.) As soon, as I was done with my monologue, I mostly tuned out because, of course, it’s just boring to listen.
I guess I must think this even though I really do love people.
Then a few minutes later, I began a conversation with a man who started to share about his recent trip to somewhere that I’d been. SO . . . instead of hearing him share about his trip, I jumped in and told, at length, my story of having been to there. I’m not sure what his story was going to be, but mine was better.
Have I mentioned that I like to talk? Hear the sound of my own voice? Receive approval from you for my talk, talk, talk, talk, talk. Every time I think of F Verse, I cringe. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. Matthew 12:34
I WASTE WORDS.
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My wasted words and wasted time reflect a heart that is turned toward itself and really just wasted. I’m tired of being this way.
I’m tired of being this way.
All summer I keep hearing the same dang thing for God’s spirit within me. My response is resounding, I’M TIRED OF BEING THIS WAY!!!!
I came home from that church gathering thinking, “Yuck. What is wrong with me? Why was I blathering on about ME, ME, ME?”
So, for this Summer of 7 Challenge, I need to figure out a way to cut out the excess of WASTED TIME and WASTED WORDS from my life.
These two wastes seem pretty abstract and unquantifiable. How can I really sharpen my focus so that I’m making the most of my days and my ways?
Wait. I feel like I’ve written about this before. Have I? Oh yeah, here.
Anyway, as you can see, this post is somewhat uninspired because I really am hoping YOU, little ol’ YOU, will offer me some suggestions of how to conduct my WASTE week.
How can I mow down the excess WASTED WORDS and WASTED TIME in a way that is measurable? Can you think of some exercise or discipline that will help me to order my words and my time? (Short of cutting out my tongue, thank you very much.)
I await your thoughtful replies. 😉 I’m listening. Really.
I suggest duct tape. It would solve both your problems–you could tape your mouth AND your computer shut. Plus, they make it in all sorts of cute prints now. Super fashionable.
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Great post – I LOVE your candor! Time waste is my Achilles heel too, especially on the vortex otherwise known as the World Wide Web. Two things that have helped me a bit in my time waste elimination boot camp. 1. Set a timer for perusing the Internet, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, whatever sucks you in. When it’s over, it’s over and it’s time to move on to accomplish the next thing on your list. 2. Ditch the morning email blitz. We are more productive in the morning and staying laser-focused during those hours yield SERIOUS productivity results. Check your email in the afternoon once, and then if you’re really feeling the withdrawal, in the evening. Yes, there’s A LOT more in there, but it’s so much easier to just to through it all at once, delete, respond, whatevs, and then MOVE ON! Good luck to you! Love your blog and your mantra!:)
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I love the morning suggestion. I think I am going to have to do that one for sure. I wish there was a timer that you could actually put ON your computer that would count down for you. Do you know of anything like that? 🙂
Try http://www.online-stopwatch.com/. I use it for my kids when they play video games.
I am LOVING this! Thank you. 🙂
How about planning a meeting or phone call with someone each day for a week where you only listen to them. You can ask questions to keep them talking but basically just listen. Maybe for a set amount of time. Seems like it could be awkward but also a good training exercise to help you listen more???
Parental control software? Ours turns our internet OFF at a certain time…
I think this is one of those problems you work from both ends. Yes, deal with what you see on top: the behavioral side. But identify, process, and allow God to soothe the emotions that drive the behavior underneath. For me, this would be a good occasion for a dose of Henri Nouwen. I like The Inner Voice of Love. Or Brennan Manning’s Abba’s Child.
Kay Bruner recently posted…waste-less week
Kay, this is great! Thank you, you’re so right–we need to work both angles.
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I second the use of the timer. It helps me stay focused. Also doing the things I need to do or don’t want to do before allowing myself to “play.”
I totally understand the battle on listening instead of talking. At the same time I tend to beat myself up and over self-reflect in this area sometimes. Hello, condemnation.
I do think it’s helpful to go into a social setting with the mindset of wanting to listen and learn from others instead of doing all the talking–kind of give yourself some mental guidelines before you go. People who want to hear what you have to say actually start to ask questions if you’re less talkative. I think of Danny Silk in Loving Your Kids on Purpose when he talks about letting your words be dollar bills instead of pennies.
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I understand this completely! I am always begging God to take away my Peter traits…Peter over and over again talked and talked and always had SOMETHING to say…I do not want to be this way. It’s hard…because like you, I have GOOD stories! 😉
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Oh wow, thanks a lot – for convicting me. Again! Lol! What – it’s NOT all about me??? You mean it’s about YOU? No, I think you’re confused. ha ha ha. 😉 This hits so close to home. SO close to home. Like a stinkin’ laser. I think back about “those women” who got caught up with the daytime soaps back in the day. I would NEVER do that! We never have the TV on! Also, even though I let the kids read, I don’t read because otherwise I get sucked into books and the kids…well, they can survive, right? So, no books for mom! (See, I sacrifice for my family – I’m “good!”) But once someone compared the internet to the soaps… I was very ashamed. But it’s DIFFERENT! See! I pay bills, I answer emails, I find shopping deals and research, and so much that improves our lives! You can live without the TV, but I NEED the computer. Heavy sigh. And it’s the same with me dominating conversations. Geez, what a jerk I can be. We should get together and listen to ourselves talk. Ha ha ha!!!
These are the things I try to keep in mind: I have also been trying to limit my time in order to serve my family. I am not serving my family when I am on the computer. My job is to serve my family. I do think I need a bit o’ time in the morn to get my computer work done (paying bills and planning and such) but yes, I’m trying to limit that to a small amount of time – while I drink my coffee (I like a lot of coffee these days). I hope you don’t decide to stop your blog. I get a lot out of it, but I think if you find a way to place it within your life in its allotted space, then that would help. Maybe you jot (paper and pencil) thoughts throughout the day each day, and on Thursdays at such-and-such a time when kids are sleeping 9am, or 9pm, whatever works, you have your notes from the week and your allotted time to write your post. Wishing you the best. I still think about your food lion posts frequently. I am not too proud (anymore) to shop at Winco. My pride was in second hand clothes. They’re good enough for the occasional great finds, but not for “real” shopping – like birthdays and back to school. Yet we’re over 100.000 in debt (almost all school loans. See – again, we’re “good” – That’s good debt, right? NO.) 300,000 if you include the house. So, can we really afford to buy fancy new clothes? We make enough to do so, but if we do, we’ll never get this debt burden off our backs and we’ll live paycheck to paycheck forever. Yet God tells us “Let no debt remain outstanding except for the eternal debt to love one another.” So…. back to school clothes this year. I swallowed my pride (it’s a lot to swallow sometimes) and I’ve clothed 3 of the 5 kids with very cute clothes that someone else loved first. I’m wishing you lots of love and joy. You will tackle no greater foe than yourself. You will be able to conquer all, if you can conquer yourself.
Raechelle, after a while, the mere thought of buying new clothes will overwhelm and disgust you. I am pretty sure I can count on one hand the number of new clothing items I have purchased for each of my children. The less they expect, well, the less they expect. 😉 We’ll get there . . . we will!
I wish that I could participate in the helping you department here. But I can’t. I have this very same problem. I think that its part of my need to be liked, or my desire to socially engage. I end up hogging up all of the convo.
LOOK! I’m doing right now, hijacking your post and making it about me.
So, I’ll say that I am very much looking forward to reading about what you walk away with, AND how you do it.
Donna recently posted…No television, no problem!
I’ve been dealing with my time-wasting lately, also. It’s sickening, looking back on how much time I’ve wasted, and a little uncomfortable to realize how much time I’m STILL wasting. Anyhoo, here’s the two things that have helped me the most:
1) I leave my iPhone on top of my desk, where I can easily hear it if someone calls/texts me. I do not take it with me around the house. It now “lives” on top of my desk. When I’m out and about, it does not go in my pocket (too easily-accessible); it goes in a zippered pouch inside my bag. Not only have I scaled WAY back on my useless iPhone usage, but it’s been like a light media-fast.
2) The “Pomodoro Technique.” ( http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/ ), which is basically a glorified timer-system. I use the app on my iPhone (when I’m at my desk working), and it has changed my work-life. I learned about it from Don Miller, I think (though it might have been Steven Pressfield). Regardless, it’s an awesome little system, and has the added benefit of reminding me to get up once in a while and walk around. Once my timer goes off, I get up and do something–anything–that keeps me up and on my feet (oftentimes that means I’m cleaning/organizing).
Here’s to being more efficient!
Good suggestions! I want to look into all these different timers.