APPRECIATE EACH DAY
OK, 2020 is in the books. Hopefully, never to be experienced again. However, what if I suggested there was some good that came out of it, that will affect our future lives? Of course, I’m not talking about the isolation, illness, anger, and outbursts we experienced. But what about the paradigm changes that came out of it, that may just change our lives for the better?
Here’s where I am going. If you’re are like me, a big part of your day is attending meetings. Some meetings require travel time and become more effective with interpersonal conversations. But not all. I counted 15 of my meetings per month are attended by fewer than six people, are informational updates only, and I spent more time in travel to and from the meetings than the meetings actually lasted. In 2020, they all became zoom meetings. I figured I save about three hours a month by not running out to those meetings.
I hope moving forward they will remain virtual because 3 hours a month is just the tip of my time saving iceberg.
Shopping. Shopping for my wife and I morphed into entertainment. We had stopped making copious lists and following them with precision for our one day a week shopping excursion. Nope, we had started running out 2, 3, then 4 days a week to pick up the grocery items we had forgotten the day before. With travel time, I thinking this added another 3 hours a week or 12 hours a month. 2020 changed that – Between ordering online and being hypervigilant of the once a week grocery trips. Thanks to 2020, that puts me at about 15 saved hours a month. And I’m not done.
Speaking of needless shopping trips, I was notorious for running out to big box stores to pick up one item several times a month. Many times, while walking through the aisles, I had to pick up on specially priced items only to get them home to realize I already have more of those items than I will use in decades. What a waste of time and money. Speaking of time and money, I started to track how many hours I spent running to the big box stores and the gas expense. So, I’m tacking on another 10 hours a month in needless trips.
I can go on and on, but I think you get the point. In fact, I’m thinking you already started tallying up your hours and expenses. Time and money that I know could be better spent on hobbies, pets, loved ones, or binge watching shows.
Overall, 2020 was not a year I want to revisit as a whole. However, wise people say if you can find some good out of the bad, then you are better off. Or something like that. So, here’s my 2021 resolutions based on 2020 changes: Just find something to appreciate each day. Some days that may be more difficult than others, but you know what? That’s ok. Because each day is a new day and at my age – allocating some time for naps sounds very appealing.
I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and wish that 2021 is everything you hope it will be.
Rob Reichstein
Communications Chair
Desert Ridge Community Association
