132-Managing Time For Increased Happiness Using Intentional Margins® Part 2 of 2

You’re on the hamster wheel of todos, the tightrope of life, you’re spinning all the plates, you’re juggling all the balls… creating any leisure time sounds like a dream, but what if it’s not?

 

Transcript:

 

Welcome to Everyday Happiness where we create lasting happiness, in 2 minutes a day,  through my signature method of Intentional Margins® (creating harmony between your to-dos and your priorities), happiness science, and musings about life. 

 

I'm your host Katie Jefcoat and yesterday we talked about what to do with free time, when you have too much.  And today, I’m sharing with you three tips from a recent Washington Post article that disects this new research.  

 

How many of us feel like you’re on the hamster wheel of todos, the tightrope of life, you are spinning all the plates, you are juggling all the balls … There is a reason there are so many analogies to this feeling of not enough time to get it all done.  Most of us are in the thick of it.  

 

First, let’s talk about Intentional Margins®, the buffer of space and time to create harmony between our todos and our priorities.   The first step is identifying your priorities and what really matters to you in this big wide life we’re living. 

 

The research says you take a look at your schedule and cut what’s not important.  What is not a priority.  I think that’s easier said than done and likely, this happens over a number of weeks, to really extract yourself from commitments that are not priorities.  

 

Priorities can and should be for a season, a week, a day.  They evolve and you pivot.  

 

Have margin for spontaneous free time.  Instead of planning that leisure time, just have some time for that spontaneous walk with a friend or a quick coffee date.  

 

Lastly, the research suggests that we should find two hours a day where nothing is scheduled.  Two hours is the minimum of leisure time we should have every single day, no matter what.  The article points out that “it  doesn’t all have to come at the same time. Coffee breaks, short walks and reading or watching TV count toward your discretionary time. One of the researchers, Holmes says in this piece. “The important thing is that you carve out a couple hours in your day, and that you’re spending it in ways you want — not on obligations.” 

 

So, where are you spending your time?  I’m curious if you have at least 2-hours a day for leisure? 

 

Until next time, hit the subscribe button and share this micro-podcast with friends, we’d be so grateful.  

 

Inspired by this article in The Washington Post, Why having too much free time can be as bad for you as having too little.

 

 

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