I did a little calculating this morning.
Given the alloted time of vacation for this year, I have 228 days of work. That is 62.5% of the year. That leaves 137 days, or 37.5% of the year, when I am not working (or at least not supposed to).
When I looked at that number, I went into a certain form of shock. 137 days. That really sounds like a lot, does it not? Certainly enough time to do everything I could (or should) want to. And that, of course, does not include at least one or two hours 5 days a week that might be available. I do not have a deficit of time - quite the opposite. I have an surfeit of it.
Yes, those are not all completely free days, of course. There are activities, and church, and vacation, and even some idle time buried there. But even with that, that seems like an incredibly long period of time available.
So maybe there is a more meaningful question: if I have all this time, why am I not accomplishing all things that I want to accomplish? Surely not having the time can no longer be the excuse.
That's 37.5% on paper, TB. Log what you do on a typical "day off." You do a lot more than you think. for most of us, our "days off" are nickeled and dined to death!
ReplyDelete137 days in theory right? If it were 137 days in a row, that would be something! But you likely only get 2 days a week (if that)...it's hard to take care of life, then get motivated, start something and finish it all in 2 days...not to mention sleep...or am I making excuses??? Interesting post though TB. :)
ReplyDeleteMost of my life seems to be on paper, Pete. The actual implementation is much worse. I am just sort of shocked to realize that it what the numbers look like. Now it is not a question of time; it is a question of the will.
ReplyDeleteYou are right of course, Rain: it is not 137 days in a row but in 2 day driblets with occasional 3 day driblets and very occasional week driblets. It has hard to suddenly start up motivation after a week of work - Fridays have become my "I am not doing very much when I get home" day.
ReplyDeleteIf I am trying to hold myself to be honest, an 8 hour day (just like a typical job) is 1096 hours a year. Surely I should be doing more than I am?
I think you're might be being a little hard on yourself? I stopped working due to burnout in 2003. But before then, I was working a job that drained me emotionally. I was lucky if I actually cooked a meal for myself on weekends. My diet consisted of frozen microwavable dinners and half a bottle of red wine to help me sleep (how different I am now)... All I could manage was to run around like a chicken with her head cut off doing chores and shopping on Saturdays, then try to relax on Sundays just to start all over again. There was no time for socializing, no real relaxation and for me, no real enjoyment. It's not a life. But...we need money to survive right? I think you might be asking a question that has no answer there. Surely I should be doing more than I am? Should is a bad word lol! :) I would say Surely you need more self-understanding and know that you are doing the best with what's been given to you.
ReplyDeleteI have been there, Rain - at one time I was getting up at 0330 to leave at 0415 to drive 65 miles one way so that I could start work at 0530 so that I could leave at 1400 - because if I did not, traffic was unbearable. I shed that job (fortunately)- but even now, am having a problem with balancing what I do for living (as in fact, perhaps somewhat sadly, we do need money to live) with what I would like to do. I always feel that the balance is unfairly tipped, even as I feel that I should be doing something more meaningful with my life - which is maybe part of the problem altogether. My meaning is scarcely found in what I do for a living.
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