Juliana Moves

The other morning Patrick and I went to the climbing gym before work. I actually woke up just before my 5:30 am alarm and was pleasantly surprised when I didn’t immediately fall back asleep. I can’t tell you how many times Patrick and I have discussed going to the climbing gym in the AM, only for me to decide sleep was more important (which it normally is)! That morning, however, Patrick was already awake and downstairs brewing coffee so I knew we’d be successful. When I got downstairs and sat on the couch though, my motivation slowly started to dwindle away. 

“We could just chill and then climb tonight?”

What a load of crap – LOL. Fortunately, we stuck to our word, got dressed, took some coffee to go, and had a great time climbing in a nearly empty gym! When we were finishing up for the morning, we both agreed that sitting around the house having a slow Monday morning would’ve been nice, but this experience was better. It just required a tiny bit more effort to get out the door! I joked that it was “values-based time spending” which was a connection to the values-based budgeting that I love. But the more I’ve thought about it, the more I absolutely love the concept of values-based time spending!

It seems so obvious to spend your time doing things you value, but I think it can be much harder to accomplish. It also forces you to confront what exactly you are doing with your time and what you could really benefit from in that moment. 

Like many millennials, I struggle with staring at my phone for hours on end. It does not make me feel good. It’s a habit I’ve tried to break or address, with varying levels of success, for quite some time. And it is particularly jarring to see how much time I spend on my phone daily when the weekly report pops up on Sundays… I am not proud. 

But now I’m wondering, what do I value more than the instant gratification of Instagram? Where can I put that focus, energy, and/or time? 

How much more real fun and joy can I bring into my life by repurposing that time? No time flies faster than time spent scrolling on your phone. 

There is something to be said about lowering any barriers to doing things you love and value. For example, when Patrick and I go climbing, our bags with our harnesses and shoes are already packed and in our front hallway closet. All we had to do was actually get dressed and pour coffee into to-go mugs. The same could be said for bigger adventures! I keep a list of places we can go stand up paddleboarding so that it’s one less thing to think about if we get the urge to SUP. Taking the time to write out a list of activities you value can not only get you pumped for the potential adventures (like my summer bucket list) but it is a fun activity in and of itself!

Anyway, all of this is to say: I’m glad I got out of bed on Monday morning and I’m glad we spent some time climbing. Seizing the opportunity to have fun makes the time we spend chilling on the couch all the more satisfying.

Happy June!