Free Time

[alisonb]

I was wishing that I had more free time earlier, just seem to be busy all the time. Have decided to make an effort and see if things can be streamlined, get the old flowchart going

How much free time do you have? What do you do in your free time? I'd like to have more time for my hobbies...

 

[herofan]

I am usually doing something, but I do feel like I am in control of my time a lot more than most people. Aside from my public career, I'm not involved in anything with a tight schedule. I don't have to be here, there, or yonder at a certain time every day. I also don't have too many "iron in the fire" so to speak. My farm is set up so that not a lot is "pressing." I just don't run that big of an operation because I don't want to be on the go all the time. If I'm in hay, or if cattle are sick, that needs to be done then, but if I bush-hog the back fields today, tomorrow, or next week, it really isn't going to make that much difference, and there isn't a bunch of other stuff piling up if I do wait until next week; so, I don't feel like I'm running at 10mph and chasing something running 20mph all the time.

As for how to slow down and have more free time, I really wouldn't know what to suggest to people who have been in the rat race all their life. I never took part in it from the beginning, so it just seems natural to me to not be super busy all the time. It never made sense to me to have so much going on in my life that I could barely take a deep breath, so I never participated.
I think it seems logical that with all the modern advancements that makes things more efficient and less time consuming, we would have more free time on our hands than our grandparents generation, but most have figured out how to not let that happen.

 

[Lucky]

Every time I get caught up to have more "Free Time" I end up thinking of some other project to get myself into. I'm my own worst enemy I guess. I have been riding my horse more this year. Not much you can do on a horse but sit and look at what's around you, pretty relaxing.

 

[slick4591]

My free time is usually spent figuring out how to get more free time.

 

[TCRanch]

Sometimes you have to force free time. I have more because I'm not on a couple charitable boards anymore (limit of my terms) but I also have less because I'm doing the majority of maintaining the ranch/cattle, etc. I learned that if I don't take "me time" every once in a while I morph into a raging, um, witch - which isn't pleasant for anyone. So I now make sure I have at least one hour every day to do whatever I want, which can be nothing more than scrolling CT, reading, taking a hike, finally getting a pedi, whatever. As far as hobbies, redecorating the house is a fave so I fit that in during my "me time". That said, come calving time, all bets are off and I'm happy if I make it into town for milk once a week.

 

[greybeard]

If you have to force free time, is it really free or simply bought/rented/borrowed at the expense of whatever you would otherwise be engaged in?

 

[herofan]

If you have to force free time, is it really free or simply bought/rented/borrowed at the expense of whatever you would otherwise be engaged in?

I'm the opposite. If I were busy all the time like a lot of people, I'd really be making things up to be busy. I suppose a person could always be doing something. My parents neighbor mows his lawn at least three times a week, for example. I'm just not that into being busy.

 

[ga.prime]

I don't have any free time and don't want any.

 

[herofan]

I don't have any free time and don't want any.

Maybe we all define free time differently. I can't imagine not having any free time. When you say you don't have any free time, does that mean you never have time to watch a ballgame or go out to eat with your family? What I consider to not be free time is time that I absolutely have no choice but to be doing the particular thing that I'm doing.

I may not always be in a coma on the sofa, but I feel like I'm in charge of my time more than most. For example, I may be planning to do some fence repair tomorrow; then my daughter in college may call and say, "Dad, I'm off tomorrow. Would you like to come down and hang out?" More times than not, I will take her up on it. Being with my daughter sounds better than fencing, and the fence will be there tomorrow.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

I don't have any free time and don't want any.

Me too neither..be plenty of time for that when I'm dead..

 

[M-5]

I'll use my free time on the streets of gold. In the meantime I will stay busy and active , I leave home around 5 Every morning and get back home around 5 then I spend 3 to four hours working at home. Free time is usually when it's raining and I don't have alot to do.

 

[True Grit Farms]

There's no free time around here unless you make it by saying screw it I'm outta here. There's always something that needs doing, I can't even enjoy going hunting because I know I have stuff I should be doing. I tell myself you only have one life to live, live it like you want. Easier said than done.

 

[herofan]

Like I asked before, for those of you who don't want free time or ever have free time, how do you define free time? Are you never able to just relax a few hours before bed? Do you never get to watch a ballgame? Do you never get to grill out in the back yard? Do you always feel stressed and pressed for time?

 

[M-5]

I'm relaxing right now listening to the rain . It's flooding on 30 acres of hay. So I'm thinking about the hours it's gonna take to get it dry enough to bale tomorrow. I will likely toss and turn all night.

 

[M-5]

I might start tedding around 4 am . I haven't made my mind up yet.

 

[1982vett]

Guess I'm kinda doing it now....

 

[greybeard]

Like I asked before, for those of you who don't want free time or ever have free time, how do you define free time? Are you never able to just relax a few hours before bed? Do you never get to watch a ballgame? Do you never get to grill out in the back yard? Do you always feel stressed and pressed for time?

I don't think you'd ever understand it if a full page was spent explaining it.
Yes, we all may sometimes do those lollygagin things, but at the expense of things we really should be/need to be/want to be doing, and we're fully aware of it. Myself included.

1 Corinthians 13:11

 

[herofan]

Like I asked before, for those of you who don't want free time or ever have free time, how do you define free time? Are you never able to just relax a few hours before bed? Do you never get to watch a ballgame? Do you never get to grill out in the back yard? Do you always feel stressed and pressed for time?

I don't think you'd ever understand it if a full page was spent explaining it.
Yes, we all may sometimes do those lollygagin things, but at the expense of things we really should be/need to be/want to be doing, and we're fully aware of it.

1 Corinthians 13:11

You may be right that I wouldn't understand it if a full page were spent explaining it, just the same as others wouldn't understand how someone can not be consumed with busyness all the time. I Am very interested in human behavior. I keep waiting for someone to explain it so that I understand why people want to be consumed with busyness all the time.

I certainly view it differently than your description. You mention that you lollygag at the expense of things you should be doing, but I often am involved in business at the expense of spending more time with my parents who are in their 80s, or spending time with my daughter who is away at college.

Keep in mind that I make a good living and my kids aren't starving. It's not like I'm lying around watching tv while someone else pays my way in life. I always thought part of being successful was not having to run your butt ragged all the time.

I actually attended a three hour workshop recently related to discussing why people are so busy anymore. We discussed a lot of things and it was very interesting. For now, I'll spare the details, but nobody left glorifying busyness.

 

[greybeard]

I certainly view it differently than your description

no doubt.

I keep waiting for someone to explain it so that I understand why people want to be consumed with busyness all the time.

Not the first time you asked. Not the first time it was explained...no one can understand it for you.

Some are just driven to accomplish...and others, not so much.
Some are driven to do as much as possible, for as long as possible, every chance they get, others.....not so much.
There has always, in both the American Experiment and humanity in general, a segment of doers and overachievers that lead the world in whatever they wish to do. Then, there's everyone else.

Here's a hint. It has zero to very little to do with how 'successful' one is or how much $$ they make.
You probably don't understand that either.

 

[herofan]

I certainly view it differently than your description

no doubt.

I keep waiting for someone to explain it so that I understand why people want to be consumed with busyness all the time.

Not the first time you asked. Not the first time it was explained...no one can understand it for you.

Some are just driven to accomplish...and others, not so much.
Some are driven to do as much as possible, for as long as possible, every chance they get, others.....not so much.
There has always, in both the American Experiment and humanity in general, a segment of doers and overachievers that lead the world in whatever they wish to do. Then, there's everyone else.

Here's a hint. It has zero to very little to do with how 'successful' one is or how much $$ they make.
You probably don't understand that either.

I've spent the last 24 years of my life trying to better the lives of students with disabilities. I couldn't begin to explain what all has went into that. I recently saw one of the first students I ever had who has held a steady job for the last 20 years, which is often tough for people with his disability. He hugged me the moment he saw me and we chatted for about half an hour. He told me how I helped him so much and believed in him. I don't think I need to hang my head and feel like I haven't tried to accomplish anything in my life.

You mention all the overachievers who lead the world in whatever they do. Is that what people who are busy all the time tell themselves? That's probably a good feeling to believe you are busy all the time because you are in the same league as Thomas Edison or Louis Pasteur.

I mentioned that I like to have time to spend with my aging parents and my daughter at college. Does that not make any sense to you?
I wonder when they lower my dad in the ground if I'll be thinking, "Crap, I wish I hadn't wasted all that time with him; heck, I could have been working my butt off instead."