We originally shared this post back in November 2017, but it may feel more true today than ever. In our ever-evolving work-from-home society, I frequently feel like I have difficulty turning off and tuning out. My computer is always available and there are few hours of the day that I don’t hear the familiar “chime” of an email hitting my inbox.
It’s my opinion that we should be incredibly intentional about how we choose to spend our time. Remove ourselves from the “busy” and re-pattern our priorities on our personal and familial well-being.
Most of the time, I don’t think that there is a right or wrong answer for where we should be spending our time. But we do need to take a second to recognize that we are, individually, making the choice about what we are prioritizing in our lives. Life doesn’t just happen to us… we decide what is most important and spend our time there.
And, with that, I hand it over to the original guru, Oprah.
**This post can be seen in its original form here.**
6 Things You Only Think You Don’t Have Time For
Oh, if only you could make a nice dinner after work, or learn Italian, or get your squats in…but who has the time? You, that’s who. We found it for you—just consult the chart below.
Working Out
Time Required: Experts recommend getting 30 minutes of physical activity a day at least five days a week, though this can be broken up into smaller chunks, like three 10-minute walks.
Where to Find It: The average woman spends 40 minutes socializing each day. Go on a brisk 30-minute walk while chatting with friends (in person or over the phone), and you’ll still have 10 minutes to spare.
Enjoying a Novel
Time Required: Reading at 200 words per minute, you can finish an 80,000-word novel in about 6 hours and 40 minutes.
Where to Find It: The average person age 15 or older takes in 2 hours and 44 minutes of TV every day. Trade watching for reading for just three nights, and boom, that’s a book.
Learning a New Language
Time Required: It takes 600 to 750 classroom hours to fully learn French, Italian, or Spanish; to speak proficiently in a year, you should spend at least 2 hours a day studying.
Where to Find It: On average, we spend almost 5 hours a day simply relaxing, thinking, or doing other leisure activities. Spend half that time conjugating verbs, and you’ll still have 2 hours to chill.
Cooking a Decent Meal
Time Required: The internet is a virtual smorgasbord of 30-minute recipes—but let’s call it 45 minutes (in case you’re a slow prepper or need to run to the store).
Where to Find It: A 2016 survey of 1,500 people found that employees spend an average of 5 hours and 18 minutes a week answering work emails from home; per day, that’s just over 45 minutes. So turn off your notifications and don an apron. The office emergency, real or imagined, can wait until the dishes are cleared.
Having Sex
Time Required: The median period required for an adult heterosexual sexual encounter is 5 minutes and 24 seconds (not exactly something to brag about, but efficient!). We’ll be generous and add 20 minutes for foreplay and pillow talk.
Where to Find It: Facebook reports that users spend 50 minutes a day on its platforms. By our count, that time adds up to two quickies or one leisurely romp.
Learning to Play an Instrument
Time Required: Unless you’re aiming for Carnegie Hall, you’ll benefit from about an hour of practice a day; some musicians believe even the most diligent start losing focus by hour two.
Where to Find It: The average mobile YouTube session—i.e., you look up one thing, then sink into an endless stream of napping baby panda clips—is more than an hour. That’s primo strumming or drumming time.
Follow along on my Insta Stories to be the first to hear about all of the fun and to follow along as I take some long-planned adventures this year!
Create a great life!
