The years seem to pass a lot quicker as we grow older. I’ve been asking myself, how was it possible that 2019 went by so fast? Where did all those days go? Did we really go through the entire 365 days or was there was a sales event in the year that reduced the number of days?
Reflecting on how fast the past year went by gives me a lot of anxiety for 2020. There is so much I want, scratch that, need to get done. Most of which I don’t know how. So, I first need time to figure out how to get them done and then, do them.
I currently hold a full-time job as a lawyer and compliance officer in a financial services company, I’m also trying to grow a business while being a mum to two boys. Are 24 hours still enough? How do I balance all these roles, while ensuring that I give hundred percent of myself to each one? How do I ensure that I find time to get refreshed so that I can give of myself without burning out? What am I going to do differently in 2020? These are the questions that haunt me, and I desperately wish to find answers to.
This year, I know there is no time to waste. Time, as I have come to better appreciate, is so precious, I must spend it with careful thought and consideration. It means that I need to consciously make efforts to use every time I am given wisely. That I must ensure to place a value to every time spent. Much like understanding that every time spent is an investment I am making today into my future. I’m making a conscious effort to just DO whatever needs to be done. I no longer have the time to overthink things. There’s no time to worry about what people will think. I can’t even afford the time to listen to other people’s opinions. There’s limited time and we are running out with every passing second.
As I write this, it’s the 4th of January 2020, and my news feeds are full of Australia being on fire. It is estimated that over 5.1 million hectares or 12.35 million acres have been lost to the fire so far; with much more loss expected as conditions are expected to worsen. Millions of animals and plants have been lost. It’s a grave devastation to Australia, the world in general and to the earth. Some months ago, similar fires devastated the Amazon, although the fires in Australia are being reported to be more than three times worse than what was witnessed in the Amazon.
Yes, natural disasters happen every now and again. But at the levels at which we have witnessed recent disasters, we must ask ourselves how much more are these disasters made worse by the effect of climate change?
Just as time is passing and the years go by before our eyes, so is the time left for us to save our planet passing before our eyes. Quite frankly, we no longer have time to waste or be complacent about how we treat and manage our resources. It is time for us to take care of our planet.
Every little effort we make in favour of our planet counts in saving our world. Simple efforts like turning off lights and appliances not in use, conserving water and not leaving taps running, airing out clothes rather than washing them after every wear, changing our lights to energy saving lights, reducing (with a practical plan towards completely eliminating) the use of plastic, buying quality, sustainably made clothes rather than mass produced, low quality made clothes, etc. are some of the immediate efforts we can all make that will contribute significantly to saving our planet. We don’t have a lot of time on our hands, personally and as a planet. The TIME to act is NOW.
So, what am I doing differently in 2020? I’m using time differently. I will make every effort to ensure that every time spent in 2020 is an investment in my personal future and the future of our planet. What about you? What will you do differently? Let me use this platform to ask you to commit to using time differently for your sake and the sake of our planet.
