Where Can You Find More Free Time?

Unlocking Freedom In Your Busy Life

Free time is a time we are free to spend on anything we want.

How to get more of it and where to find it?

Free Time As a Rare Privilege

If only we could have enough of free time to do those things we find enjoyable. You probably have your list of favourite things waiting in a line to be done, but they never seem to catch the right moment for it.

Unfortunately, we often lack free time to the extent that we may feel lucky to have just a couple of hours weekly to spend them however we want.

Last Saturday morning, while walking along a stream in my local neighbourhood, I felt privileged to be able to walk aimlessly, even if it was just for an hour or two.

It dawned on me that this seemingly ordinary act is something that many of us do not have the opportunity to enjoy. For many of us, even something as basic as having coffee without interruptions may seem like an unachievable luxury.

The unavailability of the right moment to enjoy the things and moments we crave for could put us in a state of chronic despair, wishing for some decisive moment to happen to bring us more free time.

What about you?

“If Only” World

Do you have your own reasons for not having enough of free time?

Just recall how many times have you said or heard from others phrases like:

“If only I have enough free-time to spend the whole spring and summer on the seaside.”

“If only I have enough free-time to live as I want, without boring tasks to do.”

“If only I have enough free-time for this or that, but unfortunately I don’t.”

I often find myself in the “if only” mode as well, wishing to have a couple of months free of obligations, in order to spend them on the beautiful island of Hvar.

Unfortunately, many obligations stand in my way, preventing me from enjoying my dream.

What Do We Prioritize?

The fact is that our lives are filled with never-ending array of tasks and responsibilities. Whether it’s tidying up the front yard, visiting IKEA to buy a new wardrobe, driving our children to their hobbies, or dealing with car insurance… you name it, there’s always something demanding our attention.

Since we prioritize doing those unpleasant obligations over engaging in what we find enjoyable, we often postpone our pleasurable activities until the stars and planets align in a favourable way.

But how long are we going to wait? Are we going to postpone living until retirement?

That’s nonsense.

Prioritizing of unpleasant obligations over pleasurable activities gives us an illusion that we don’t have enough of free time.

If we continue to operate under this paradigm, we will rarely find ourselves with enough free time.

Ultimately, we may find ourselves growing old and regretting over missed opportunities, longing for a chance to live our lives again.

How to Create More Free Time?

It starts with a fundamental shift in paradigm through which we relate to our time.

We must recognize that all the time available to us is actually free time.

In other words, all our obligations — cleaning the yard, going to IKEA, driving the kids, paying insurance, you name it — are tasks we choose to do during our free time.

We willingly allocate our precious moments to burdensome activities that we despise.

But don’t we have to pay bills, take care after our families, or regularly show up at our work place?

There are no haves-to-do, only choices.

Yes, we will have to bear the consequences for our choices, but still, they are our choices and they are not mandatory, irrespective of how much they may feel urgent.

So how long are we going to clutter our free time with things we don’t like?

Either let’s stop doing those dreadful obligations and go to Niagara Falls instead, or let’s stop complaining and realize that we are voluntarily investing our free time in all the things we are doing.

Finally, you can find more free time by realizing that all the time you have during your life is a free time, and you are free to spend it in a way you want.

Thank you for reading my story.