Stop saying you don’t have time, it’s just not your priority

By Abigail Gan | Reporter

If you ask any Baylor student how they’re doing, chances are their answer is going to include the word busy. I completely understand, college is full of things to do, assignments to finish and people to see. But, when people say they don’t have time for things, it isn’t the whole truth.

You make time for what you care about and what’s important to you. If you don’t have time for it, it’s just not up there on your priority list.

One of the clearest examples I see of this is when people get into relationships. A couple of my friends have gotten into relationships this semester, and it’s been interesting to see the shift of how they spend their time. Prior to the relationship, they would constantly talk about how busy they are or how they don’t have time for anything — even H-E-B runs, short catch-ups to grab coffee with someone or go to an event.

As they’ve started dating or gotten into relationships, I’ve seen them shift their schedules around and make time that wasn’t there before to spend hours with their significant others. Previously, they said they had no time to spare at all. They made time for what’s important to them.

Sometimes you don’t have any spare time in your schedule, and it seems like there’s nothing you can do to fix that. I’ve had days where I have things in my calendar from 8 a.m. – 11 p.m. and it feels like a marathon with infinite things to do. Upon reflection, those days and the busyness in my schedule reveals a lot about what my priorities were on that day or at that time.

I think looking back on your calendar or planner to see the things you spend the most time on reveals a lot about where your priorities are. They might surprise you.

Additionally, sitting down before a semester and making a list of your priorities and keeping that in mind when you are making scheduling or involvement decisions can be helpful to make sure you are fitting in what you truly want into your schedule.

On a minor scale, I think some people need to evaluate the spare time or homework time they do have and see where that might be disappearing too. Even looking at the screen time on your phone can be revealing and exposing of where time is going instead of where you would want it to be going ideally on your priority list.

Not everything can be a priority in your life. It’s important to weigh what you’re involved in and how you spend your time in the context of your priorities. I don’t think saying no to things or turning things down is a bad thing, but be honest with yourself and others. Don’t just give the excuse of not having time.