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Avoid These Time-Wasting Habits NOW! · Reborn w/ Antonio Boutros

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to the Reborn Podcast, where we explore personal development, spirituality, and entrepreneurship from a Christian perspective.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Tony Butros, and today we are diving into a topic that hits close to home for many of us.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: Managing our time and focusing on what truly matters.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: The title of today's episode is Prioritizing the Good in Life.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: We often find ourselves overwhelmed with the demands of daily life, and it's easy to get caught up in distractions that waste our time and energy.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: But imagine a life where we focus solely on the good things, our families, our purpose, our work, and have no room for what's not good or important, like drama or cheap dopamine hits.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: Let's start by talking about the concept of cheap dopamine.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: Cheap dopamine refers to the quick, easy, but ultimately unfulfilling pleasures that we often turn to for instant gratification.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: Social media, porn, and mindless scrolling are prime examples.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: These activities give us a quick hit of pleasure, but leave us feeling empty and unfulfilled.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: I used to waste a lot of time on these things.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: I'd spend hours on social media, get caught up in the latest drama, or waste time on websites that offer nothing of real value.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: It was a constant cycle of looking for that next quick fix, but it never led to true satisfaction or happiness.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: When I decided to change my life, I made a conscious effort to cut out these distractions.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: I started prioritizing activities that were more fulfilling and aligned with my values.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: I began spending more time being productive, going to church, working on my business, networking, and deepening my relationship with God and my brothers and sisters in Christ.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: The transformation was incredible.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: Not only did I feel more fulfilled, but I also found that I didn't even have enough time to do all the good things I wanted to do.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: Now imagine that.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: Being so engaged in meaningful activities that there's no room left for the unimportant ones.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: One day I decided to take a hard look at how I was spending my time.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: I realized that a significant portion of my day was wasted on activities that didn't bring me any closer to my goals.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: So I made a list of my priorities.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: Spending time with family, growing my business, nurturing my spiritual life, and contributing to community.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: By focusing on these priorities, I began to see a dramatic shift.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: My days became more productive, my relationships improved, and my sense of purpose grew stronger.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: I wasn't perfect, I still had moments of distraction, but by continually refocusing on my priorities, I was able to make significant progress.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: Now, all this sounds cool, all this sounds great, awesome.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: You're probably thinking, yeah, you know, Tony, uh, that sounds great, but how how do I actually go about focusing on what's important and quitting uh porn, quitting social media, quitting all this stuff that I know is not something that improves my life, but it's addicting, it makes me feel good in the moment.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: So let's let's delve into the practical side of things.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: How can we start prioritizing the good in our lives?
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: Here are a few tips that have worked for me.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: Number one, first and foremost, identify your priorities.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: Write down what truly matters to you.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: This could be family, work, personal growth, spirituality, or anything else that aligns with your values.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: Step two, create a schedule.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: Plan your day around these priorities.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: Most of the time, for most people, uh, this will probably have to be around work, just because that's the majority of most people's day.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: Allocate special uh specific times for each activity and stick to it as much as possible.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: Number three, eliminate distractions, identify what's wasting your time and make a conscious effort to reduce or eliminate these distractions.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: This could be limiting your time on social media or setting boundaries around certain activities.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: One thing that really helped me is I think one area that many people, including myself, uh, find themselves scrolling on social media or or going into porn or whatever that we don't want to do, but it the temptation creeps in uh is in bed.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: And so I personally keep my phone at night across uh across the room.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: I try not to use my phone at all.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I didn't use my phone at all in the beginning when I was going through this.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: Uh now I'm a little bit more uh uh a little bit more lenient with it because I've I'm able to trust myself more than I was able to uh just a few months ago.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: I think for most people, uh that would be a great first step.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um but you know yourself better than I know you.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, whatever you personally are going through, find what is eliminating your uh or wasting your time and make a conscious effort to reduce or eliminate them.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: Now, number four is set goals.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: Having clear, achievable goals can help you stay focused on what's important.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: For me personally, I am an all or nothing guy most of the time.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I when I quit, I went cold turkey.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: I know some people who uh are excessively using social media uh or whatever distraction, you might not be able to go cold turkey immediately.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so let's say you're using four hours a day, and I would cut down two hours, one hour, half an hour, 15 minutes, and so on.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and and and also think about I would come at it from a standpoint of I'm thinking about what I'm going to do in that time as opposed to eliminating this time because then you're gonna weigh it.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: Do I want to serve God or do I want to scroll social media?
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: Do I want to hang out with real friends or do I want to scroll social media?
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: Do I want to watch TV or do I want to uh go work out?
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: And so on.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: And and which one is more aligned with my goals?
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: I personally love working out, uh, but I know some people don't, and they would they would choose to watch TV uh over working out, but which one aligns more with your goals?
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: Now, and the fifth one is stay accountable, share your goals and progress with someone you trust.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: Having an accountability partner can provide motivation and support.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: I think for me, this was easier uh as an entrepreneur.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: I as an entrepreneur and someone who knows what my goals are, as well as uh as a Christian, uh, someone who wants to abide by Christian values.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um I personally don't have a specific partner, but I have many, many brothers and sisters around me who I'm able to be very transparent and honest with.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and that has helped me tremendously.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: So just to go over these five again.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: Step one is identify your priorities.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: Step two is create a schedule.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: Step three, eliminate distractions.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: Step four, set goals, and step five, stay accountable.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: Now, to further emphasize the importance of prioritizing the good, let's go through some frequently asked questions.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: Question one is how do I know if an activity is worth my time?
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_00: And that's a great question.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: An activity is worth your time if it aligns with your values and helps you achieve your goals.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: Ask yourself if this activity brings you closer to your purpose or if it's just a distraction.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: If it's the latter, it might be best, it might be time to reconsider its place in your life.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: Now, notice how I said your goals, your values, not my values, not my goals.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: We have different goals, therefore, an activity that is worth your time might not be worth my time, but an activity that's worth my time might not be worth your time.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: Now, question two: how can I stay motivated uh to it to avoid distractions?
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: And staying motivated can be challenging, but it's essential to keep your why in mind.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: Why are you doing this?
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: What are your long-term goals?
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: Keeping the bigger picture in focus can help you stay motivated.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: Additionally, having a strong support system and regular check-ins with yourself can keep you on track.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: Now, question three is one that I think many people uh who go down the road of personal development uh struggle with, and uh and over uh over time, this is something that makes them eventually quit.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: Question three is it is it okay to have some downtime or leisure activities?
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: And the answer to this is absolutely.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: Downtime and leisure activities are important for overall well-being.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_00: The key is to choose activities that are genuinely relaxing and fulfilling rather than those that offer cheap dopamine, because I think oftentimes we find ourselves resting and we're in bed, we're scrolling Instagram, Snapchat, whatever social media you use, and we feel like we're resting because we're not working, but then we're done and we don't feel rested.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: And it's been two, three, four hours, right?
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: I know a lot of us can relate to that.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: I can relate to that in my past.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um, again, not very long ago.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um, reading a good book, spending time in nature, or engaging in a hobby can be much more rewarding.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I think I've touched on it a couple times in the podcast, not on this episode, but in the podcast, previous episodes.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, one thing that I always recommend people take about five minutes, five to fifteen minutes a day, um, is grounding, going outside first thing in the morning, taking your shoes off, barefoot in the grass, uh, stretching, uh, praising the Lord, praying, and uh it'll make you more grateful, it'll help you wake up, uh, and it'll help boost your uh your mood for the day.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: Now, uh, as we wrap up today's episode, I want to leave you with a final thought.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: Life is full of choices, and how we spend our time reflects what we truly value.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: By focusing on the good and eliminating the distractions, we can lead more fulfilling, purposeful lives.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for joining me on this journey of personal growth and spiritual development.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: If you found today's episode helpful, please share it with someone who might benefit from it.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: Don't forget to subscribe to the Reborn Podcast for more episodes on how to live a fulfilling, purpose driven life.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, stay focused and stay blessed.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: Always and forever doing God's will with his power for his glory.