You’ve freed up some time for yourself, now what?

Image by Pedro Simão, taken from stock.xchng

“I don’t get this idea of saving time. What do you do with it? Can you withdraw your saved time? I don’t get it.” - My Stepmother

Remember how I freed myself from mountains of email? Ever since then, it’s like I’ve been given the gift of time. Roughly an extra 4-5 hours a day.
This usually happens when you become more efficient - a big chunk of time is freed up and, if you’re unprepared, you probably don’t know what to do with it. If you’re still in the process of freeing up some time, you need to plan what to do with it so you don’t end up like me, with a big question mark on my head asking “Now what?”

Here’s what you can do to fill up that time you’ve saved:

Take up a long, lost hobby.  You know the one.  You probably gave it up because some authority figure (parent, teacher, the president) told you it was a waste of time.  Whether it’s stamp collecting, stargazing, or art-making, you’ll find that resurrecting an old hobby will bring up fond memories and help you make new ones.

Learn something new. Want to speak a foreign language?  How about learning authentic Italian cuisine?  Or do you want to gain new skills that will help further your career?  think about the things you want to learn (or things you want to do better) and look for ways you can expand that knowledge.  You can sign up for a seminar or workshop, look for online learning resources, or read a book about the subject.

Do something exciting.  Think about the things that excite you.  How many of those things did you have to give up, even partially, just because of your career? Figure out which activities or events make your heart pump a little faster and take them on.  They don’t have to be outdoor activities - some people might want to go bunjee jumping, while others want to isolate themselves in a corner of their home to work on a novel.  Whatever excites you, do it.

Read a book.  Here are some scary statistics: 1/3 of high school students never read a book for the rest of their lives and 42% of college graduates never read a book after college (source: Humorwriters.org).  I actually have a friend (19 years old) who claims to have read only 4 books in her entire life (I lent her one of those, of course).   Reading books can help you become a better communicator.  Also, they provide mental exercise that one doesn’t normally get in the corporate world.

Spend time with loved ones.  You can write them a handwritten note, call them on the phone, or pay a visit.  If you’ve been working hard, odds are you spent less time with them.  Now’s your time to catch up.

Personally, I’ll spend my free time working on my garden, reading, and setting up alternative income streams.

How would you spend newly found free time?  What would you do with it?