I’ve been thinking a lot in the last several months about time and how we choose to spend it. As the pandemic hit, many of us realized we had extra time on our hands – no commutes, restaurants closed, limited shopping in stores, and generally just being at home. I had many conversations where I realized people were spending this new found “free” time differently. Some were “leaning in” with projects and activities backlogged over the years and they were ready to fill the time. Others found the added time to be an opportunity to “lean back” and spend time doing things they loved, but didn’t usually have the time to enjoy like watching Netflix, reading a good book, and hanging out with their families.
Neither approach is right, but it really got me thinking about how there are two camps out there when it comes to unscheduled time. Some have an innate need to fill the time available with seemingly productive activities while others have a need to fill it with relaxation and social time.
Which camp do you find yourself in? Do you lean in with a to do list full of projects or lean back checking Netflix, reading a good book, or making calls to friends and family?
I definitely lean in. I have a project list longer than time will ever allow. When a free hour opens up, I know exactly what I can do to fill it. While I enjoy my productivity, I also envy those who are able to look at an open hour as a means to lean back and possibly even choose to do nothing.
As summer rolls to an end, I will continue to lean in and work on my ever growing project list. However, I am also trying to proactively find moments to lean back and do relaxing things I love – reading a good book outside, watching a movie, or sitting on the deck with my husband talking about nothing in particular.
Share in the comments your tendency and let me know if this helps you gain a little more insight about yourself.