Time is often associated with words that are used to describe money or financial situations.
One example is the concept of time windfalls.
Moments when you are time affluent and can spend time on things beyond your day-to-day responsibilities.
Research in the last 10 years has shown that many are feeling time poor.
Trying to balance heavy workloads with multiple home responsibilities.
Yet, sometimes, we have the luxury of a time windfall.
A moment of free time that you weren’t expecting.
An event cancels.
You take a long vacation.
Kids grow up.
My Story
My kids are in their early 20s.
One of the things I would tell my younger self is that there will be a day that you start to see time windfalls.
Enjoy your time poverty and capture your hopes for future time.
Not everyone chooses or has the opportunity for children in their lives, but I was fortunate to have the experience.
The years the kids were young, memories are a blur.
Work was filled with the need to grow and advance.
Home was filled with school events, sports, and making sure things didn’t fall thru the cracks.
Photos remind me of fun times and simple moments.
Life was extremely time poor.
Sometimes I would think about what my “pre-kids self” did with all the time.
I certainly didn’t appreciate the extra time.
Then, the windfalls started.
Work was still as busy as ever, but suddenly…
The kids could get off the bus on their own and be OK until I arrived home – no more day care pickup.
The oldest started to drive. Much less shuttling to sport practices and friend’s houses.
The youngest started to drive. Shuttling over.
Both headed to college and adulthood. Less laundry. Less cooking. Less cleaning up.
Less + Less + Less = More.
More Time.
I think it’s interesting that there is much less published about this transition.
What do you do when you suddenly start to have MORE time?
Some dive into their work.
Others dive into Netflix.
Some discover/rediscover a hobby.
Others catch up with friends.
The time is filled.
Your Turn
Have you experienced a time windfall?
Do you know what you would do with more time?
How could you plan now for the next time a time windfall hits?