Too Much Time: How To Plan and Schedule Your Time When You Have Too Much Of It
“I don’t ever think about the roads I didn’t take because I spend too much time thinking what’s ahead. I don’t go backwards.”
Kelli O’Hara
One of the issues many elders face is having too much time. The years of childrearing and hectic days are but memories, for the most part. Now that you have time to do crossword puzzles and Sudoku every morning, you begin to feel bored as the afternoon approaches.
Managing Your Time
Routine and Planning
You are probably an expert at managing a routine by now, but there’s a missing ingredient – planning.
Reading the paper, at 6:45 punctually, every single morning, with a steaming cup of coffee, is great. Part of the reason it goes so well may be because you already set that time aside in your mind five-years-ago. In other words, it is a planned routine.
Now, how about adding other other things to your day, in advance and routinizing them? You’re probably thinking, what can I possibly add for all my extra time? And that’s the point. Really ask yourself that question, with a twist – What would I like to do? Is there something I would enjoy? What do I value? Is there a topic that I would like to know more about?
Be creative. Have fun! This is actually an opportunity to do some stuff that time and financial-constraints never allowed you to do when you didn’t have any time on your hands.
Helpful Ideas
Here are some thoughts to get you started:
- Spending more time with friends
- Spending more time with family and grandchildren
- Keeping in-touch with loved ones
- Writing a memoir
- Getting a pen pal relationship
- Getting more fresh air
- Playing board games
- Doing exercise
- Reading books
- Studying a subject
- Crocheting
- Knitting
- Cooking and baking
- Coloring
- Drawing
The next step is to schedule these planned events, so that you make a routine out of them. Once your calendar is fuller and you begin maintaining a consistent schedule for your new tasks, you may start to appreciate your empty time slots more.
Too much time is a common issue among older adults. the transition into this stage often leaves you with less responsibilities and more time for reflection. But with a routine and plan, you may be able to make this one of the best utilized stages of your life.
What do you do with too much time?
Please share in the comments below.
Disclaimer, or Use At Your Own Risk
The information and advice in this post should not be viewed as professional opinions and we do not take any responsibility for its content. Any action you take based on the information of this post is strictly at your own risk. You should always speak to your doctor regarding medical information and your health.