“A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life,” Charles Darwin
This quote described how I viewed my time. As I reflected at the end of the day, I would be drawn to consider what I had achieved. Starting each day, I made a point of determining what I was going to get done. At least, what is the one thing I must get done. How does this resonate with you? Do you feel energized?
Lately, I’ve begun to have very different feelings about this. My day starts with a heavy feeling. What do I need to get done today? It then rests on my shoulders, weighing me down until it is complete. Is this a good way to start my day? Wouldn’t it be better to start the day on a positive note, excited about what lays ahead?
The Agenda Free Day
The answer is obvious, of course I would but how? Looking at my calendar, I get excited when I see a day or two with nothing scheduled. It feels exciting except I go ahead and fill it with things I could do. That free day is no longer free of things I must get done, and there I am back in the same mood. The answer is probably obvious to you but it wasn’t to me. An agenda free day.
The art of doing nothing
My initial thought was a day of doing nothing. I remember one of my coaches telling me they coached somebody who believed they could do anything. He asked them if they could spend a day doing nothing. He couldn’t. The thought of doing nothing was appealing but I liked the idea of an agenda free day much better. This is a day where I have no preconceived agenda. I might end up doing nothing, I might end up being really busy.
A surprising outcome
The day emerges and I use my time however I wish. When I tried this out, it turned out to be a busy day. This wasn’t entirely surprising. I suspected I wouldn’t be happy doing nothing. I was surprised that my mood was completely different. Rather than carrying a weight through the day, it felt very light. I could do what I wanted to do without regrets. I’m not sure how I will approach my days. Will this become my new norm? I’m not sure but it won’t be my last agenda free day.
This post, like all your other posts, sparks worthwhile reflection! I guess what we each consider a waste of our time is highly personal which leaves me wondering how we each became wired the way we are.
Allegedly, a decade or more ago, the CEO of a leading tech company had a sign on his desk that read: “A waking moment is a working moment.” It’s pretty clear how he was wired.
Personally, I never thought of “doing nothing” – which in itself is certain to mean different things to different people – as a waste of my time, whereas sitting in a lengthy mind-numbing business meeting or spending 2-hours watching a lousy movie are.
If I would have a quote on my desk, it would be more along the lines of: “Not all those who wander are lost.” –JRR Tolkien
Thank you Herman and that is a very apt quote. 🙂