Why We Do What We Do

Time and time again I tell myself, "This is it. This is the semester. This is the one where I'm going to make school and fitness my *top priorities. I will spend the majority of my time studying, then the remainder of my time will go first to eating healthy and exercising followed by whatever else arises." Yet, again and again it doesn't seem to go that way. It got me questioning priorities; the things I choose to do with my time. This is set up to be a topic of time management and how to best fill time, but that's played out. I want to tweak that angle a bit so I'm pondering why we fill our time with what we do.


When I spend time with Sarah, does it decrease my stress level? When I'm writing out my thoughts does it actually make me a more useful thinker and communicator? When I'm at the beach with friends is it in any way shaping and defining my character? When I'm watching TV does anything good come from it? Are the effects of these things bettering me in some subconscious way, and is that why I just naturally prefer them over other things? Are the things I choose to do with my time, are my instinctual time fillers, in any way rejuvenators?


Or...


Am I just a lazy schmuck, and all I get from these things is the satisfaction that they require far less effort than my more strenuous desires?


Since this is my blog, here is my belief: I believe it's both, plus 2 additional ones I realized while just now writing.
1) On the beneficial end are the things we experience that challenge us physically as well as mentally and sharpen us quite well to the point that we long to be that sharp again so we go back to it. This is your hobby: Running, playing music, rock climbing, surfing, biking, for some this is studying - secular or religious, etc.


2) Some of what we choose to do is because we're tired and want to do nothing. These are the things that are easy and require little effort when so many other aspects of life require so much effort. This is your relaxer: TV/movies, reading, napping, etc.


3) Then we've got the activities that take hold of us and rapidly become addictions: tobacco, alcohol, coffee, drugs, and **pornography are a few big ones prevalent in my upbringing (I believe it to be an unfortunate truth that every child will be exposed to something on that list, if not all, at too young an age). This could be any of the listed or anything else in your life that tends to take root and dictate your actions: gambling, working, gossip, celebrities, on-line social networking, etc.


4) Lastly, there are things we must do. Whether we chose the circumstances, or they are placed upon us unawares. These are our responsibilities that we shouldn't avoid because either we will suffer or those around us may. For you this may be pet responsibility, a job, school, a child, car maintenance, etc.


"Necessity" could be on the list, but I'm excluding it. The things you need to do are just that, they're needs. There's no use in explaining why you do them, other than the fact that you need to in order to survive: eat, sleep, bathroom, etc.


With this said, ask yourself where you stand. Have you found a fantastic, healthy, balance of the above mentioned areas? Are you busy beyond sanity with hobbies? Are your days fixed around large bulks of relaxation? Are you more acted upon and your life is determined by the addictions that surround you? Or, are you so busy with responsibility you have no idea what these other 3 things I speak of are. (Depending on your view of the word "addiction", you can be OK with this, or not. Some view "addicted to" and "passionate about" as synonymous. I disagree. I think "addicted" is a negative term and denotes an unhealthy relationship with an action or thing)


I wonder if this is true for everyone and does all that we do fall into one of these 4 categories? These are just my thoughts and where I stand today. I want to start organizing what I do and discover a healthy breakdown where I enjoy hobbies meshed between responsibility and relaxation, and discover and rid off addictions (We aren't always aware of what we're addicted to).


Take this all with a heaping spoon full of "moderation in all things".

*Things within the walls of my home (family affairs) actually take precedence over the other things

**If you aren't "Mormon", you may not be accustomed to hearing "pornography" in a list of addictions. But in the LDS faith it is fully recognized as a damaging addiction that destroys families and grasps individuals as dangerously as the rest of the more widely accepted addictions.