"But time has wings . . .

. . . and thus they flee, the years."

Petrarch's Poem 30

Are you amazed at the nearness of summer's end?

Only about a month, and the season that's anticipated and romanticized as much as Christmas is as a holiday will be over. Leaves will start turning colors and carpeting the ground, blanketing grass in preparation for winter. School will open again, forcing kids into what many imagine is the worst torture ever developed -- algebra.

And before there's time to soak up any of that, the snow will melt, the sun will return, and spring will arrive, with blossoms and shoots and baby animals (obviously, the most important part).

Time has wings and, boy, does it fly.

But what are you gonna do? You can't slow it down or multiply it. No matter how well you learn algebra, you won't be able to change its speed. All you can do is work to get the best out of it.

How?

Think. Prioritize. Decide.

What do you like? What's important to you? What does your schedule look like?

If you need help with this, click here.

Keep it balanced.

Remember that while it's important to invest in yourself -- and, indeed, you must in order to properly invest in others -- your life does not exist for you. You are not #1. Getting the most out of time must involve giving time to others, as well as to yourself.

Do nothing half-heartedly. And take advantage of the available opportunities.

The most rewarding things come when you throw yourself into the work -- whether a job, project, or relationship.

Focus. Be diligent. And hold nothing back. It's not always easy, but with time (which flies) you'll reap rewards -- including better sleep and improved math skills.

Invest in Life

There is a reason you think. There is a reason your lungs soak up oxygen and your heart pumps blood through your veins.

Every day that you open your eyes is a day you can't start over. Don't waste it.

Take what you've been given -- time, resources, talents -- and invest in life.

You were not given a beating heart to accent a dull, tuneless life. Your heart is beating to join in the rhythm of the waves, add to the whistling of the wind, and play a part in the symphony of life that surrounds you.

Join in.

Take stock of what you have: 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Decide what's important to you. Start living.

Be the stone that starts the ripples -- not the boulder at the edge of the pond.

Step One: Evaluate your schedule and routine.

Map out your week hour by hour, marking what time is taken for work and other responsibilities and nonnegotiables. Plan specific times for other important things, like family and sleep. Note the empty spaces.

Step Two: Think through your interests and decide what to pursue.

Depending on your point in life, this may be very easy or very hard. If it's very hard, visit a library and venture into the non-fiction, Dewey-decimaled section. Look for Idiot's Guides to . . . well, everything.

Once you have a few ideas of what you'd like to try, evaluate your resources and choose what works with them. (Tip: Think creatively.) Work these things into three to five of your schedule's empty spaces.

Step Three: Leave some blanks.

In your schedule -- not on people's faces.

These remaining blanks are for extra time to yourself, with others, or in creative and enriching pursuits. No Facebook or World of Warcraft allowed.

If someone gives you a blank look, tell them you're avoiding a midlife crisis by exploring the adventure of life. Pay attention to their reaction and share it in a comment.