Lots of us have overheard parents telling their kids to eat all their food at the dinner table. “We don’t want to waste it,” they say. Maybe your parents said it to you and maybe you’ve said it to your own kids. It’s hard to watch anybody toss a plate of perfectly good food into the trash. But far worse than wasted food is a wasted life.
Yet we live at a time when wasting your life is actually pretty tempting. It’s easier to scroll social media than to engage with the people in the room. It’s easier to stay out of it instead of stepping in when you notice that someone needs some help. When we waste our time or resources like that, we may waste our lives. But part of being a responsible adult means not wasting things, especially your life. Here are 10 ways to not waste your life.
1. Believe.
Belief is the most powerful, positive life-changer in the arsenal. Believe that you are a valued person with something to contribute and chances are, you will.
2. Know where you’re headed.
Dr. Seuss said, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.” Setting goals is necessary for purposeful change, both short-term, as in “I’m going to spend the evening with my child so he goes to sleep feeling loved,” and long-term, as in “by Christmas, I’ll be able to tell my AA group and my family that I’ve been sober for six months.”
3. Identify a better reference point for success.
Know that our standard for a successful life is found in serving others, being great parents, and loving our spouses. These standards are more conducive to satisfaction and success than “he who dies with the most toys wins.”
4. Value relationships above all else.
Value relationships above results. Value serving others above being served. Value investing in people above investing in things.
5. Remember where your joy and value comes from.
Dependence on anything external for happiness is unnecessary. If we “need” others to make us happy, or if we need achievements to feel worthy, we undermine our reason for being. The simple fact that we are loved and valued by the Creator is sufficient. Your joy comes from knowing who you are and whose you are.
6. Live in the moment.
“I’ll feel like I’ve achieved something when ________ happens.” “Just let me get that new ________, and I’ll be good.” This kind of thinking ensures we’ll remain dependent on “more” for satisfaction. Instead, live in the moment. Be grateful for what we have right now. Be content in our present circumstances.
7. Defer short-term thrills in favor of long-term rewards.
We often sacrifice long-term joy, satisfaction, and contentment for short-term thrills and personal pleasure. Things like sex outside of marriage, pornography, and gambling will never satisfy. What will satisfy is sex in a marital relationship, lasting and loving relationships, living a life of purpose, and hard work.
8. Always continue learning.
Lifelong learners adopt the ongoing posture of reinvention and redemption. Learners ask questions rather than act as if they know all the answers. It’s difficult to waste your life when you are humble and open to new ideas.
9. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Knowing what we value puts everything else into perspective. If we know what really matters, we’re not as likely to get caught up in or bothered by things that don’t have a long-term or eternal impact.
10. Never do anything you wouldn’t be comfortable doing in the presence of your Maker.
If in doubt about this, talk it over with God first.
What else prevents a person from having a wasted life? Share in a comment below.
