I’m reading (well, listening to) the most fabulous book at the moment – Overwhelmed
I’m going to be talking lots more about this book probably for months to come because it is just that good.
In the beginning of the book, she meets with a time researcher who analyses time logs. He tells her that she has nearly 30 hours of leisure a week, just like most women.
Of course she’s shocked because it certainly doesn’t feel like it. And 30 hours? Really?
Therein lies the rub.
1. Let’s talk about those 30 hours.
The research shows that leisure time for women is made up of tiny bits and pieces of time. Schulte calls this “time confetti” – don’t you love that visual?
I’ve written about The 15 Minutes before, and how we need to use those 15-minute blocks because we’re not going to easily come by huge blocks of time, especially when the kids are pre-schoolers.
Leisure time for men, on the other hand, often happens in huge chunks… a morning or day of golf, watching TV for hours a night, going out with the boys, etc.
Ladies, the only way we’re going to stop having mere time confetti is to intentionally create big chunks of time.
E.g. going for my Spanish dance lesson one night a week is a chunk of time.
2. Now let’s talk about how it doesn’t feel like we have 30 hours of leisure.
Even if you do have the time, if you don’t feel like you have it, you won’t enjoy it as much. Like when you’re rushing around from one plan to the next. It doesn’t feel at all leisurely.
So the trick is to consciously create time, be intentional about taking it and do things that bring you joy.
Questions for you:
Do you think you have 30 hours of leisure time a week?
Do you consciously create chunks of time to do things that bring you joy?
Isn’t it time to start?
Tell me one thing you’re going to do differently this week, even if it’s to write on a post-it note, “I have 30 hours of leisure time a week”
I definitely have 30 hours of leisure time each week.
However, I can’t always access those 30 hours. In order to do this, I need A LOT of help and support. If my husband is working late or if he’s unavailable to manage kids in my absence, then I simply can’t access them. When my cleaner doesn’t pitch and I end up cleaning, then I can’t access them. When that help and support is available then I DO access those 30 hours. I like doing pleasurable things in chunks. I go to crafting, I knit with friends, I do socials that go on for a few hours at a time.
That sounds like an interesting book. I’m going to add it to my list.
I’m so pleased to find ONE person who says they have 30 hours of leisure. I do too.
I should keep my own leisure time log, just for interest’s sake…
It is a great book. I have another 49 posts in my mind… 🙂