Society at large is generally guilty of wasting time. We do mindless activities like watching TV shows we are not interested in or browsing social media. Most of us have hobbies and interests. We wish we were better at [insert activity]. The question is why are we not? For me, it came down to the following three barriers: being overwhelmed by information, negative emotions, and lack of a regimented schedule. I believe some or all of these factors are common for other people as well.

Information Overload
There are two aspects of the information overload: figuring out where to start and the comparison game. We may want to learn a new language, but when we search for resources we come across too many of them. How do we determine which one is best? Do I want to use a book? Mobile app? Website? The choice is almost never simple. This filtering process can turn many of us away from expanding our knowledge and/or talents. The other challenge is we see and hear examples of other people who are better than us because of the availability of online news, social media, and other content channels. We play the comparison game which often leads to feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness. We have inner dialogues such as “A nine-year old can play the guitar better than I can so why should I even try to learn?”

Negative Emotions

This factor relates to the comparison game above, but also deals with general feelings of discontent, stress, anxiety, etc. which may hinder our attempts to complete certain tasks. I personally spent too many years trudging along kicking dirt instead of picking my feet up and realizing the potential that existed in front of me. I created negative feedback loops for myself. For example; instead of working on a project, learning a new hobby, or socializing with an organization; I might have spent time playing computer games alone in my apartment. Subsequently, I felt unaccomplished and unconnected which created more feedback to engage in isolating or unproductive activities.

Poor Time Management

I feel confident saying this next statement. I guarantee you have 15-30 minutes in your day to spend on personal improvement.

Technology has provided us with immense resources to allow us to do things at various times and locations we were not able to a few decades ago. For example, you may want to learn more about astronomy. If you have a commute to work, you can listen to an audio book or read an actual book depending on your mode of transportation. No commute? Do you cook dinner? Take your dog for a walk? Exercise? If you have access to the internet and a device capable of playing audio, you are a podcast away from learning while doing any of these activities*.

We can use technology to do things such as:

• Create & optimize schedules
• Track daily activities
• Remove brain clutter (e.g. creating and organizing notes, project lists, etc.)
• Provide notification about activities and events

In the next post, I am going to dive into how I overcame the above and put a useful system in place that works for me.

* I realize there are differing levels of resource availability for each of us so not every avenue will be open to all people.