Respecting My Free Time

Respecting My Free Time

Aren’t routines great? We can get stuff done in an efficient and effective manner, almost without thought. Some of our routines are wonderful. They keep us healthy, clean, organized, social.

Some of our routines are not so wonderful. They park us in front of the TV or computer for hours, or start us on mood-altering consumables, or keep us running complaints.

Routines help us manage our time well. So how can we get ourselves set up to use them wisely, to support and enrich our lives?

Why can I choose? Why is it all just so easy? Why do I like what I do?

What are my routines that I like? My getting up’n’attem routine for starting my day? Am I efficient? Is it enjoyable? Can I make it nicer, or better so I feel good first thing? How are my other favorite routines? What can I do to make those more streamlined, or more fun?

What are my routines that don’t serve me? Do I have routines for wasting time? Do I have routines for procrastination? Do I have routines for self-abuse?

When we want to change these routines or habits, we need to notice some stuff. Some people are really good at just stopping. For me, it depends on the habit.

Noticing that I have that routine or habit is critical. So often, with this sort of thing, we are blind to it because it’s automatic. Our first task, then, is to notice that we have a pattern of behavior that we want to change. I can often do that by noticing I don’t feel good.

I used to have a horrible feeling of procrastination certain days when I got home from work. Once I noticed that feeling I didn’t like, I was able to start paying a little attention to it, and realized that the feeling was “procrastinating.” Step one was complete.

The next piece is to see when the pattern actually starts. This can be tricky, because it often involves unconscious thinking.

I looked at what I did on those days when I felt procrastinate-y. My end result was watching TV all evening. I keep my TV upstairs, so climbing those stairs seemed like the start of it.

One of my great routines is spending some time on my porch after being out, and taking off my emotional shoes, so to speak, before I go into the house. I use the time to think about stuff that needs thinking on. So I thought about that habit. I recognized that I decided to go upstairs to watch TV instead of doing stuff that felt productive often before I even got in the house. Sometimes when I was miles away. It wasn’t a conscious word-type thought, it was a feeling. The feeling was kind of a comfort-relief-avoidance thing, totally familiar once I got it.

Recognizing the very beginning of the pattern we want to change means that we can change it much more easily, since we have Creative Questions. How have I changed from procrastinating with the TV to really enjoying doing my tasks first? Why can I choose? Why is it just so easy?

By taking time to know ourselves, we make our lives that much richer. We will always be the one person who can be there for us regardless of our situation.

How have I changed from wasting my time to treating my free time with respect?

(c) Pam Guthrie 2014 all rights reserved 03262014

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