These days, time often feels like a commodity. We’re rushed off our feet with the pressures of our family lives and our work lives, and even when the weekend rolls around it hardly feels as though we’ve got any time to ourselves at all. That means that a lot of the time, our own interests tend to fall by the wayside. But is that the right thing to do? Chances are, you probably have a lot more free time than you think - and it’s time to spend that doing something that you love. Here are a few tips on how you can get started.
What Really Matters To You?
First and foremost, you need to figure out what you really want and what really matters to you. Is there anything that you’ve been longing to do since you were a little kid? They don’t have to be big things: maybe you want to start reading a book a week, or you want to learn to make impressive birthday cakes, or you’d like to be better at yoga - or maybe you’d like to learn to play a musical instrument, or to use a potter’s wheel, or even to learn to tap dance. The truth is that life is only so long, and if you don’t at least try to explore the things that you want to do, you’ll regret it.
Stop Wasting Time
Of course we need to feed ourselves and our families, we need to do laundry, we need to go to work. Those are obligations we can’t get out of. But do you really need to watch that TV show that your partner likes and you aren’t really into? Do you need to spend all that time scrolling through Instagram and Facebook in the evenings? If you find yourself wasting time on things that don’t fulfil you, you should change that. Delete the apps from your phone and go to do something else when that TV show is on. Take control over the time that you have.
Make An Investment
A great way to actually do something that you’re interested in is to invest in it. Buy a series of ten yoga lessons, buy a bike so you can start cycling or some good quality running shoes so that you can start Couch To 5K without hurting yourself. If you’d like to get more musical, check out Kawai Grand Pianos for a piano that will look gorgeous in your home and encourage you to play and to practise. If you want to be more crafty, change a corner of your home into your crafting area with a table where you can place your sewing machine and other supplies. Once you’ve invested some time, money and effort in your hobby, you’ll feel less guilty about actually doing it.
A lot of us feel excruciatingly guilty about taking time for ourselves. Shouldn’t we be investing that time into our kids and our families and our jobs? But the truth is that you won’t be able to do a good job in other areas of your life if you’re mentally exhausted by not doing anything in your spare time that’s productive and that you enjoy. Finding a hobby that you love will make everything else in your life run more smoothly.
