The Power Of Editing Life

Editing. The process of taking a rough draft and polishing it into a finished product. We have all edited essays for school or emails for work. Occasionally we even edit and rewrite text messages, correcting the auto-correct so the person on the other end knows we are thoughtful human beings, not insane lunatics who can’t write a coherent sentence. What if we approached life the same way? What if we looked at our goals and commitments, at the people and things in our lives, and asked ourselves, do these things fit with the way I wish to live my life and with the message I want to give?

We all form messages with our lives. The message can be powerful and uplifting, drawing people toward us as we influence people for good. The message can also be dark and scary, a warning for others to keep away. Most often our message is a weak, confused signal, existing with minimal impact on our surroundings. We have the power to strengthen our message, to mould our lives into what we want them to be…if we are willing to edit.

What is editing? It is the process of removing and correcting everything that does not fit our goal. This can include our physical surroundings, the people we spend the most time around, our goals, and much more. We often accumulate these things over time, accepting them because they are familiar. When we take a closer look we may find that some of these things may be holding us back from the life we want to live.

1. Things

Things bring comfort and beauty to life. We work to buy things we need, and then work more to buy things we want. We compare our things to the possessions of others, and then try to upgrade because our stuff seems cheap or out of style by comparison. Our things are practical, useful, desirable, even enviable trophies…except when they aren’t. What happens when our collections just create more work, when home is crowded and cluttered, losing its peace and beauty? If we are wise we will edit. Remove the things you no longer care about or use. Remove the things that are duplicates, the just in case items. Remove the things you have simply to impress others. You don’t need them. Listen to that again… you don’t need them! 

2. Goals

Many of the things we need to edit are not things at all. One of the strongest guiding forces in our lives are the goals we set and work toward. Goals are necessary because without them we will end up going nowhere, or even worse, end up somewhere we did not want to be. Our goals help us define what we want to accomplish and what we do not want to accomplish. Goals need to be set in finances, fitness, and relationships, as well as other important areas of life. Think about what your want to accomplish in each of these areas, and write down practical goals that will help you create the life you want. Make sure that you set goals that you want to live, avoid trying to live someone else’s dreams. It is too easy to work for the life your parents or the culture set for you, but the life you achieve will not be the one you want. Live your life!

3. Commitments 

After we have established goals we need to evaluate our time commitments. Each commitment represents a piece of our life, which is the most finite, valuable resource we have. Some commitments are unavoidable. We need money so we work, even though most of us would love to spend that time differently. We have a duty to our family, so we spend time with them, love them, and care for them, even when we would rather be doing something different. Other commitments are discretionary. These can include volunteering, exercising, hobbies, and more. Many of us are committed to watching every episode of a television show, or every game played by our favorite sporting team. Examine your commitments to see if they line up with your goals. If they do not, then consider if you need to make changes so your use of time lines up with your short and long term goals.

4. People

One of the hardest areas of life to edit is the people we spend time around, yet it can be one of the best choices we make. Life is easier and more rewarding when we are surrounded by people working toward similar goals. Right or wrong, we are judged by the people we surround ourselves with, and even more importantly, we start to resemble those we spend the most time with, so choose wisely. Look for friends with positive attitudes, good values, and emotional honesty. Negative attitudes, addictions, and shady values will drain and pressure you into bad decisions. This applies to goals big and small. If we are trying to spend less money then we should hang out with others who are doing the same. Hanging with a big spender can derail our goal. Edit. Don’t cut them out of your life completely if it is not necessary, but choose to spend time with people who will support and strengthen you. Choose to spend time with your family. Choose to spend time with mentors and coaches. Choose to spend time with those who inspire you. Edit.

Editing isn’t easy, but the results are life changing. What do you want to edit in your life? Please leave a comment below!