If You Had Spare Time…

Spare. 

Is that word even in your vocabulary? I sometimes wonder if “spare” will ever be in my schedule! Do you ever feel like if it is not one thing it’s another? One thing I have learned is that I am a “get it done now” person. I am far from the definition of a procrastinator – why do now what you can do later? I am a get it done now so that I don’t HAVE to do it later person. Now, even though that makes it sound like I get a lot done, I sometimes do not know how to be okay with “spare” time.

In preparing to have our first child in March, there are many things that I have wanted to get done. Everything from organizing all of my pictures onto a USB drive, to going through every inch of our home and finding things we do not need or are in the wrong place. In other words, I have spent a lot of time moving, reorganizing, and purging things that are no longer needed. Meanwhile, also making room for the influx of baby items that are now filling up our home. I have not spent much time doing other things…

Things I would do in my spare time.

That thought hit me when my husband said to me one day when I said I was tired, while trying to move all of our games and cds to a different location. He said “Is that really something that NEEDS to be done, or something you WANT to get done?” Bam. Enough said.

Why am I not okay with “spare” time? I spend so much time trying to always be caught up in life, but really, there is never a point when I will “arrive”.

Why do I not take time to do the things I want to do? The solution? The other day, I decided to pull out a puzzle. It is that time of year when I do not go outside as much because it can be so bitterly cold. So for me, choosing to take time to do the things I enjoy, I find so rewarding. Of course I could always be doing something else, like making some frozen meals, organizing something, getting rid of something else, etc. But that is when I need to choose to do the things I want to truly do, versus the things that I “think” need to be done right now.

One of the healthiest things for me is to go on vacation, with no access to internet or a computer. I always think there is something else I could be doing (and there probably is) if I have the chance to go on the internet. Though while on vacation, it always takes my husband and I a day or 2 to get into the mode and schedule (or lack there of), on vacation. One of the best decisions we made on one of our last vacations we took, was to head down to our destination the night before. Granted it was cheaper to get a hotel room than to fly down the next day. We were heading to the Florida Keys, but we spent the night before in Fort Lauderdale (where we flew into), and then the next day, spent our time driving down to the Keys. Best decision ever. We did not do that the 2nd time and we could tell! We now know that taking that “spare” time to make time truly enjoyable, is worth the extra effort!

If you had a day to spare, what would you do?

If you had a week to spare, what would you do?

If you had a month to spare, what would you do?

If you had a year to spare, what would you do?

I find that the way I answer those questions, actually shows what I value in life.

So again, how about you?

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