Jul 4, 2010
What are you passionate about?
One of the things that can be difficult when you simplify and downsize your life is what to do with the time you have acquired. Now, I’m a long way from having a 4-hour workweek. But I’m also a lot better off than when I was working a 50 hour full-time job, and working part-time at the weekends - alongside a bunch of other commitments.
The trouble is, it’s very easy to fill up the free time with some more useless activity. You might end up watching more television, or start mindlessly surfing the internet. You could get involved in a bunch of things you feel like you should be doing – even though you don’t really want to. Lots of minimalists tout their favourite activities as part of the minimalist life-style – but if you don’t like yoga, then don’t do it.
One of the first things I started doing was watching old TV shows that I had never had
time for before. I started watching X-Files, for example. And whilst I do enjoy the show, I have never made time for TV before because it just wasn’t that important to me.
And before I knew it, all my newly acquired free time was being eaten up by a bunch of little pointless things – reading random pages on wikipedia. Tracking the news about the UK budget in pin-point detail. Surfing internet forums. Watching Family Guy.
I needed to make sure I was spending time on the things that were important to me.
I should add that I don’t think we’re designed to be 100% productive all the time. As humans, we require down time – time to play and relax. But we should make sure we’re relaxing the way we want to, and not the way society dictates that we should.
- I love reading hard-boiled crime novels, and related genres.
- I love doing Yoga – and the best part is I was finally able to touch my toes yesterday after weeks of practise.
- I love sitting outside, drinking tea and just watching the sky.
- I love listening to cheesy 90′s music and dancing.
- I love rambling through fields and getting lost.
These are the things I should be filling my extra time with – not watching X-Files, or reading about David Cameron.
What do you like doing? Can you do it now?
Hey Suzie,
I think that you hit the nail on the head when you talk about not having to be 100% productive all the time. I am a big believer (but not necessarily a great practitioner!) in creating yourself ‘mental gaps’ to allow different thoughts and perspectives to arise which quite often lead to new passions and interests. Most of us put so much pressure on ourselves to always spend our time productively that we miss the opportunity to relax and allow insights and abstract thoughts to rise to the surface.
Yeah, that spare time can so easily be wasted – there are so many of those enjoyable, but ultimately unproductive, activities out there.
I guess when it comes to the unproductive downtime, I tend to watch old Basil Rathbone movies, or 70s detective TV series like Harry O. Like you say, sometimes your brain needs to go on holiday too
@ Brenton – That’s a good phrase! ‘Mental gaps’. I think we all cycle through up-time and down-time, and one of the most damaging things you can do is try and force yourself to be productive and efficient during a down-time.
@Tony – yes, it’s so easy to think ‘Oh I can relax by doing yoga!’ but while yoga is relaxing, sometimes my brain just wants to chew on something bland for a while. Schlock novels are great for that !
Argh, your form ate my comment! It was just me saying that I loved wasting my time over the budget.