A famous Strasbourg situationist student pamphlet concludes “Vivre sans temps mort” as the rule of life to avoid getting bogged down in bureaucracies or sterile dogmas. It literally means living without wasted time and enjoy without barriers. Having known this for years, I’ve come to my own conclusions:
- How you waste your time is highly subjective. There’s no ideal and it’s wise to keep it that way. What’s useful time for me may appear “wasted” from your perspective. (One of my best friends hates to read so watches biopics and documentaries on Netflix, which for me is a waste of time as I might as well be reading their “true” accounts in a book! We’re both learning something but we despise each other’s learning modalities.)
- Life isn’t about enjoyment. At least not all the time. It’s important to find the balance, which is highly influenced by your priorities. (I can be with my kids right now but I have a need to write and clarify my thoughts, so I’m writing this post.)
- The best way to maximise your “alive time” is to not let yourself be a slave to social media or the internet (particularly the news). Use them as tools/resources for information or perhaps a platform to showcase your work. (In 2020, it seems we’re literally living and working “online.” I believe taking a deliberate break every now and then on a daily basis will be immensely helpful in maximising your time.)
- Living like there’s no tomorrow can be hazardous because chances are, there will be a tomorrow. It’s okay if you don’t wake up to it. You will be missed. But you really don’t want to feel stupid for all the things you did last night if you do wake up!
- Celebrations don’t have to be like the “last thing before you die.” It doesn’t have to look, feel, and sound grandiose. To celebrate is to be playful and learning to be comfortable under your own skin. And you sure want to feel that way everyday, if possible, or whenever you can.
As you can tell, I have a hard time buying into the idea. Sure, you interpretation may be different. But agenda was to get you thinking and reflecting on how you can redefine what living without wasted time means to you. It’ll only take you a few minutes but the value you’ll derive from this exercise might last a lifetime. Don’t wait. Do it!