We all have priorities, and we all have activities that we claim are our priorities but aren't. No matter who you are, you waste time on things that don't move you toward your goals. This isn't always a bad thing.

Two factors determine your true priorities—not what you think your priorities are. These are how you spend your time and how you spend your money. You vote for the type of life you have or want by what you spend your time and money on. Every minute you spend, every dollar you spend, you're voting for the life you have. This isn't absolute—we all need to enjoy life and indulge in life's luxuries. However, if you're complaining that you don't have successful relationships, are short on money, don't have enough career opportunities, or don't have time to write or start a creative venture, it's time to make your goals a priority.

It's always better to chip away at your goals rather than wait for "one day" to magically appear. Also, the cavalry isn't coming—you have to assemble your own cavalry. If you want to improve your life, you have to improve your approach to life. This includes being more strategic with your time and money.

There's a distinction between resting and wasting time. There are times when we need to relax on the couch, engage in some moderate retail therapy, buy ourselves a gourmet meal, or just let our minds wander. However, this shouldn't be our default when we're stressed or overwhelmed. There's a distinction between taking a respite and running away.

Busyness isn't the same as being productive. The goal isn't to be busy—it's to make the hours you spend on a goal valuable. One way to do this is to become more valuable to your job, your industry, and even your loved ones. Spending time and money on upgrading your mindset, your skillset, and your understanding of others can be one of the most valuable steps you take.

Spend time on personal, skill, and interpersonal development. Spend less time complaining, worrying, and gossiping about other people.

People often complain that there aren't any opportunities, that people don't understand them, that there's turmoil around the world, or that life is generally getting more challenging. People can point to any period in history and have the same complaints.

What people fail to realize is that there's a very powerful counterargument: at every period in time, there were opportunities that were unique to that era. There are opportunities right now, today. It all starts with understanding what people need and want, and then finding a way to serve them.

Even before that, you have the opportunity to spend your time becoming a better person, becoming aware of others' needs, learning something new, upgrading your skills, and becoming a better version of yourself.

This can happen once you decide that you're not going to waste your time doom scrolling, worrying about things that are out of your control, or engaging in any behavior that isn't productive.

Every time—whether a day, an hour, or a moment—you're investing time, and you want to make sure that one day, that time spent will pay off.