Do you have discretionary time?
Not in the HR “time off” kind of way.
The kind of time when you have autonomy to do what you want.
No work deliverables you must do.
No laundry.
No running errands.
You could choose to do those things.
Or you could choose to do something that would bring you delight.
The time is at your discretion.
Discretionary time during work hours could allow you to explore a new idea.
Create something that isn’t on the immediate project list.
At home, you could do a puzzle.
Sit on the deck.
Read a book.
Take a nap.
Work on a craft you don’t normally have time for.
The possibilities are endless.
Finding Discretionary Time
The challenge many people express is that they have too much to do.
There is no discretionary time.
I disagree.
My perspective is that we fill discretionary time with things that don’t bring delight.
Then, they aren’t memorable, and we feel like we don’t have discretionary time.
I think this can happen with mindlessly scrolling social media.
Clearing out emails (just reading and scanning, not actively working on actionable ones).
TV shows we aren’t paying attention to.
We don’t recognize discretionary time because it’s wasted without intention.
Your Turn
Do you have discretionary time?
If not, do you find yourself wasting time with something you see as a habit, not a delight?
How could you find 30 minutes at work and 30 minutes at home each day to squeeze in some discretionary time?