Home General Info & Awareness Saving It For A “Special Occasion”: Wasting Your Life Away?

Saving It For A “Special Occasion”: Wasting Your Life Away?

by InvisiblyMe

Do you often find yourself waiting until there’s a special occasion to do something? Perhaps waiting for that elusive sunny weather, a reason to celebrate, an accomplishment done to do/go/try something different or positive for yourself?

I can’t help but wonder whether regularly “saving the best ’til last” and needing a reason to do things is always the best approach. Sure, there’s something to be said for patience and there are some reasons where waiting can be useful, such as to save money. And no, you can’t always have everything you want. However… Consistently needing a reason and giving excuses under the guise of reasons means you’re forever putting your life on hold, forever delaying the chance to live the life you want. Perhaps it’s something small and inexpensive, like ‘treating’ yourself to a decadent dessert and spending time on your hobby, or perhaps it’s something bigger with a price tag, like going on that holiday you’ve always wanted. These choices to put things off probably happen more regularly than you think. Every time you feel you need a reason, you’re basically telling yourself that you’re not allowed, or not good enough, to enjoy what it is you want to enjoy. This is especially the case when waiting until you feel you’ve accomplished enough.

The problem is, there’s probably never a point where everything is good enough, where you feel you’ve done enough, and instead of living in the moment you’ll be regretful and resentful of the present and past while constantly looking to the future and repeating the cycle.

Why do we put off the good things?

  • Pressure for Perfection – Perhaps you already have some ‘perfectionist tendencies’ or maybe you have a fairly set routine and comfort zone. Doing something a little different to the norm can feel almost like a one off because you rarely do it and then you build up the need for it to be ‘just so’ and go as well as possible.
  • Feeling Undeserving & Guilty – Feel guilty for taking care of yourself or doing something pleasurable is common. We may feel as though we’re not good enough and don’t deserve to spend time or money on ourselves, and yet these thoughts and feelings are things we need to move past if we want to feel fulfilled and be there to support others and be the best versions of ourselves.
  • The Need To Accomplish – In a similar way, you may feel that you need to have accomplished X, Y and Z before you can ‘treat’ yourself, which is a frequent dangling carrot used in our society. Starve yourself for the week to splurge on the weekend, work until you drop all week so you can celebrate on Friday night when you’re too shattered to do anything other than go to bed, put everyone else first and then take care of your needs. Sound familiar? 
  • Classing Things As Good/Bad – This applies particularly to food and the way we can classify them as healthy/unhealthy. Those with eating disorders are likely to experience this, especially with calorie counting or waiting for a ‘calorie deficit’ in order to ‘allow’ yourself to have a ‘treat’.
  • Waiting To Feel Better – You want to enjoy doing something you look forward to, so it’s understandable to want to wait until you feel better. But with that comes the risk of putting everything off for a ‘better day’, and that day may not come, or it may take you by surprise and you’re unprepared and so you put off what you wanted to do anyway for other reasons.

What Are You Saving?

  • A good film, book or a special TV series
  • Using the ‘best’ cups and plates
  • Dusting off the wine/whiskey/cider bottle at the back of the cupboard
  • The delicious cheesecake that’s been sat in the freezer for the last 6 months
  • Wearing those fancy shoes (well, you wouldn’t want to scuff them, would you?)
  • Trying out a new coffee shop & treating yourself to some gooey, gorgeous cake
  • Lighting those scented candles currently used as ‘decoration only’ and the pretty body lotions sat untouched simply cluttering your bathroom cabinet
  • A day trip to somewhere new (perhaps you’re waiting for the elusive sunny, dry & warm weather, which means you’ll likely leave your house only a handful of times each year in the UK!)

Why It’s Not Always The Best Idea

  • With the want for something to be perfect and go as well as possible comes mounting anxiety and stress and heightened expectations, and then it can all end up going pear-shaped anyway; best laid plans can go belly up, things don’t live up to expectations and leave you feeling disappointed.
  • Putting things off can lead to a cycle of procrastination, negativity and indecision.
  • By denying yourself the things you want and need, and the joys in life from even the simplest of things, you’re forever putting yourself at the bottom of the list.
  • Time runs away from us. Before we know it, we’re looking back at all of the things we haven’t done, the excuses we’ve made, the negative feelings associated with why we never did what we wanted to do. Regretting the things not done is painful.

How To Stop Saving The Best ‘Til Last

  • You don’t earn the ability or the permission to be happy and to enjoy life. Instead of waiting until you feel you’ve accomplished enough or are ‘deserving’ enough, remember that everyone is entitled to seek happiness, that you have the freedom of choice to live your own life the way you want.
  • Focus on the here and now – Mindfulness is a great practice for appreciating the joy of the moment, and you can’t savour that and appreciate the life you’re living right now if you’re regretting the past or putting things of until the future.
  • Dig a little deeper and consider why you’re delaying things, putting them off, saving them for a special occasion. Of course, we don’t always get what we want and it can be good to save some things for certain reasons (in order to appreciate them more, to be careful with our money, etc). But if you’re finding that you’re forever pushing the good things to the back of the queue and feeling like you’re missing out, then it’s time to figure out why.
  • Get some perspective on what matters to you, what’s really important, and how life should be filled with experiences rather than regrets. Take a deep breath and just say Fuck It!
  • If you’re indecisive, write up a little list of anything and everything you’ve wanted to do / use / try, the big things and the small things, and go for something little every now and again. Once you start to live a little more freely and say ‘yes’, doing so should become a little easier.
  • Ask yourself this : What will matter in a year, two years, ten years, or 30 years from now? Will I regret even the smallest, seemingly simplest, things I’ve not done? If there the end of the world was tomorrow, would I be frustrated and disappointed for having put off the best till last until it’s too late?

 

 

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23 comments

Gerri Spiers May 21, 2017 - 4:40 pm

What a great post and sadly so true. How often do we say we are saving that dress for a special occasion. I am guilty of that! Whati if that special occasion never arrives!

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usathroughoureyes May 21, 2017 - 6:54 pm

This was such a great article. Thank you. There is so much truth to this. So often we acquire something special and then are afraid to use it because something might happen to it. We are now in the mode of getting it and using it. No longer keeping the plastic on the lampshade so it wont discolor, lol.

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ignitedmoth May 21, 2017 - 9:24 pm

This is so true! What a great post. Thank you for writing it. 🙂

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TheWorryGames May 22, 2017 - 4:15 am

Great post! Lots of good things to take away there. 😉

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Rosie May 22, 2017 - 6:26 am

There’s definitely something to be said for striking a balance between saving things as a reward for completing something and always holding off doing something, because you want it to be perfect. While I’ve been in Lyon, I’ve kept a list of all the little things I want to see/ do/ visit before I leave. I didn’t have so much free time during the semester, so I explored the city (and its many museums) more then, but now that I’m (mostly) free of responsibilities I’m able to explore places a little further afield before I leave.

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Cathy (Ty Siriol) May 22, 2017 - 7:18 am

I’m certainly guilty of this and for many of the reasons you have listed. I’m also depriving myself in some cases as I have no choice. Eg. Many , many food allergies mean I rarely to never eat out. Also, most of the time I can’t drive so I’m stuck in the same 4 walls walls most days. I’m sure this is the fastest route to depression. In fact, I’ve been talking to hubby about this a lot lately. We’re always saving for things in retirement and that’s at least 15 years away. I doubt I’ll be able to do any of what I want by then as my illness has progressed so fast in the last 7 years that he’s known me. We might not be here, so depriving ourselves now for a future that might not be is really silly. That’s the way hubby is though as he’s not a shut in and doesn’t really truly understand the impact it has. I’ve just shown him your post to show I’m not the only one who feels this way. Thanks. Xx

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Natalie | Surviving life's hurdles May 22, 2017 - 12:18 pm

I do so many of these things! What a fantastic article, I love the ‘why wait?’ approach, I definitely need to do more of what I love now while I still can. I’m really bad for saving art and craft materials and not using them because I don’t want to mess them up or they are too pretty to use, that or I think I won’t do them justice with what I make and end up ‘wasting’ them! I’m going to challenge myself this week to make something with a lovely item I’ve been hoarding! xx

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Katarina Zulak May 23, 2017 - 8:46 pm

Great post! For me, it’s often about waiting to go out with friends when I have something tangible accomplished. I think it’s the old perfectionist in me from pre-illness days. If I have limited energy, I should conserve it for something ‘productive’ and not ‘waste’ it on fun. After I ‘accomplish’ something then I feel free to go out. Except with the unpredictability of chronic illness, it’s rare to be able to cross something off my to do list and I just end up feeling isolated. This spring I’ve been challenging myself to go out regardless, when I’m well enough. For all the reasons you listed, in the big picture, connecting with others and enjoying life’s moments are more important than most of what’s on the to-do list.

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Ipuna Black May 25, 2017 - 8:59 pm

Beautiful. So true. Tomorrow may never come.

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Sheryl May 26, 2017 - 5:26 am

Great read, exactly what I needed to be reminded of. I struggle a lot with this and always feel guilty if I relax without doing anything ‘productive’ to earn it. I know it’s ridiculous especially when I’m in pain, but the struggle is real 😉 Sharing to all my channels!

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Hailey Watt May 26, 2017 - 10:08 pm

I wrote a very similar post recently! Interesting perspective.

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InvisiblyMe May 27, 2017 - 7:40 am

Thank you – I’ll go check out your blog now Hailey!

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allaboutlife13 June 20, 2017 - 10:37 am

You have written such a nyc article and I often feel the same and now i feel that i have someone having the same perspective? keep writing more and do share and like my posts if u find them worth it! Thank u keep going???

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InvisiblyMe June 20, 2017 - 11:12 am

I’ve been reading your blog and I’ve started following too 🙂 Thank you for the comment! x

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allaboutlife13 June 20, 2017 - 11:17 am

?

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Glimpsing Gembles Blog August 4, 2017 - 12:43 am

This is great! I particularly agreed with the bit about saving the candles for decoration!! I do this!! I will light one asap! Thank you for putting this reminder up to make the most of the here and now.

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InvisiblyMe August 4, 2017 - 4:33 am

I’m glad you liked it. Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂

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sMyelingCat January 2, 2018 - 7:16 pm

Great post! How we always postpone actually living. We should stop and enjoy the small things, the ‘for later’ things, all?

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InvisiblyMe January 3, 2018 - 7:27 am

I think sometimes we need to remind ourselves to stop putting things off, saving it until later, needing to feel as though we need to earn and deserve the small enjoyments in life. It’s just postponing life, putting it all on hold, when we should embrace everything we can, when we can. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting 🙂

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Esther Jackson October 8, 2018 - 12:19 am

It is all very well for me (and every one else) to like this post, but the hard part is putting it into practice.

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InvisiblyMe October 10, 2018 - 3:50 pm

Very true indeed – it’s certainly “easier said than done”.
Thank you for commenting 🙂

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chasingthemaximumlife July 30, 2020 - 12:50 pm

Hey this is a great post and I loved your blog a lot. ????

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InvisiblyMe July 30, 2020 - 3:18 pm

I’m really glad you like the post & the blog – thanks very much for letting me know! ???? x

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