Minutes Matter: A Wake-Up Call to Stop Wasting Time

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By Dwight Bain

Time is the one resource we can never get back. Yet most of us treat it like it's unlimited. We scroll, we binge, we procrastinate. We say "someday" as if it's a guarantee. But the Stoics had a different view. They reminded us: Memento Mori—remember you will die. Not to depress us, but to wake us up. Seneca wrote,

"It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste much of it."

Oliver Burkeman, in Four Thousand Weeks, echoes this truth. The average human lifespan is roughly 4,000 weeks. That’s it. And many of those weeks are already gone.

John Maxwell adds in Today Matters,

"You will never change your life until you change something you do daily."

So what are you doing with your minutes?

The Reality Check

Let’s do the math. If you're 40 years old, you've already lived over 2,000 weeks. If you're 50, it's closer to 2,600. That’s not to scare you—it’s to clarify the stakes.

Time isn’t just ticking. It’s sprinting!

We lose time not in dramatic moments, but in the small, uncaring ways:

         Mindless scrolling
Endless email checking
Saying yes to things that don’t matter
Waiting for the "perfect" moment
Avoiding hard conversations



Storyworthy author Matthew Dicks puts it bluntly:

"Life is not lost by dying; life is lost minute by minute, day by dragging day, in all the thousand, small, uncaring ways. Stop thinking about the length of a day in terms of hours and start thinking in terms of minutes. Minutes matter."

The Urgency to Act

This isn’t a guilt trip. It’s a wake-up call. You’re not too late. But you are right on time to make a change. Here are three practical ways to stop wasting time and start living with intention:

1. Audit Your Minutes

Track your time for one day. Every minute. You’ll be shocked at how much slips away unnoticed. Awareness is the first step to change.

2. Design Your Day

Start each morning with a plan. What matters most today? What will you regret not doing? Prioritize those things.

3. Say No More Often

Every yes is a no to something else. Protect your time like it’s your most valuable asset—because it is.

Get a New Clock – Called “Now”

You don’t need more time. You need more intention.


The Stoics weren’t morbid—they were wise. They knew that remembering the brevity of life helps us live better. Embracing limits is freeing when you count the minutes today, instead of thinking you have decades ahead.

“Don’t count the days—make the days count.” —Muhammad Ali

So here’s your challenge:

·         Don’t waste another minute.

·         Live like time is precious—because it is.

·         Make the minutes matter.

Listen, the clock isn’t your enemy, it’s your ally. It reminds you that time is precious. Don’t squander it chasing illusions. Use it to build something that lasts. Surround yourself with people who challenge and support you. Invest in what matters. Lead with wisdom. Love with depth. Because the clock isn’t ticking against you—it’s ticking for you.

Make today count. Don’t waste another minute.


About the Author:  Dwight Bain guides people through times of crisis or major change. He is a Mental Health Thought Leader, Nationally Certified Counselor Nationally Certified Trauma and Crisis Management Trainer with over 30 years of experience. Dwight has spoken to over 3,000 groups and partners with media, corporations and non-profit organizations to build resilience and rapid recovery. Access more positive resources to solve stressful situations by visiting his blog or on social media @DwightBain He lives in Orlando with his wife Sheila and their rescue pets.

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