I recently went to a three-day silent retreat. This meant leaving behind my wife, phone, Vikings/Packers game, newspapers, tweets and Netflix episodes of "Longmire." There were about 70 men at the retreat, and we were discouraged from even making eye contact because it would take us out of our reverie. I spent most of my time thinking and writing. And the time flew. One thing I kept focusing on was consumption.

We consume hundreds of things every day, and I would suggest that we hardly think about most of them. For example, when you surf the internet, you are consuming not only the web page, but the information that those sites choose to deliver to you and the pop-up ads that are generated. These things exist because they work. They provide answers to questions we never had, solutions to problems that didn't exist and guidance toward behavior we vow to avoid. Let me share with you what three days of my silence taught me.

No conversations at meals meant I never ate more slowly. I tasted the food I consumed and actively chose what I ate rather than mindlessly shoveling it in my mouth. I was completely engaged.

Long before the retreat, I have had a daily practice where I start every morning with meditation, readings and writing. Only after I have done these things for more than a half an hour do I turn to my e-mails and the newspapers. Since I begin my day by consuming things that enrich me, I am fortified for what happens after that. On the retreat, I realized while my morning ritual is a good start, I want to consume more of this throughout my day. I now make sure that I take regular pauses and am more conscious of how often I check things that are not necessary. When I get home, I plug my laptop and phone into their charging stations so I am not constantly referring to them. This helps me consume only one thing at a time — a conversation, a movie, a book.

I found a spot by a pond at the retreat where I would sit on a chair and read and write. I took long walks on trails through woods. I realized that I want to consume some piece of nature every day. I often get this by walking our dog in the morning, but all too often I am focused on his business rather than the stars or the birds.

We often think of consumption as what we spend money on, but while we trade our time for money, we actually trade it for everything we do. By understanding what you consume, you will spend more on the things that mean the most and less on everything else.

Spend your life wisely.

Ross Levin is the chief executive and founder of Accredited Investors Wealth Management in Edina.