Reflective spot at my periodontist's office; perfect for a Time Tidbit.
First I had to sleep late (HAD to sleep late!) Then I had to eat breakfast. Then I had to get to a periodontal appointment Now I still have to go to the gym, and figure out dinner, and get to a meeting, and (somewhere in there) have lunch. This is my day today. Time spoken for. Oh wait–what about writing my blog?
Some days are full of serial tasks, one after another, the day owned by a schedule before I even begin. Even if I were a multitasker (which I am not and don’t wish to be), today’s tasks don’t work well together, being at different locations and requiring my physical presence. What to do with a day like today? Do I just give up and assume that the tasks define the day, and there’s nothing more to it?
In fact, even in a highly scheduled day, little spaces of time show up. I had 20 minutes before leaving for my perio appointment; and of course I had another 10 minutes in the waiting room; and now I am writing for 15 minutes before I grab lunch and head to the gym. No doubt other 10- and 15-minute blocks of time will show up later, transitions between activities and the inevitable waiting before events begin.
I call these Time Tidbits, and I am interested in using them to my pleasure and my advantage.
Time Tidbits happen daily. I often find myself at the computer for those short stints–check e-mail, browse through a Facebook page, Tweet and Tweet again, do a quick Net surf. These are spaces filled routinely with electronic noodling. I am not alone in this, as is obvious by people glued to their smartphones and laptops.
But those electronic spurts, increasingly automatic, are not pleasing me. The time passes, but I feel restless and dissatisfied, somehow appeased but not pleased. I feel imbalanced, as if time and energy have been sapped, squandered. I’m aware of my desire to create new boundaries, to create spaces that are separate from electronic experiences, to find other ways to fill time.
What can I do with my Time Tidbits in an e-free-zone?
- read a poem
- brush my cat and listen to her purr
- clear one spot of clutter on a table
- write!
- close my eyes and reflect on whatever crosses my mind
- close my eyes and let all thoughts pass through
- take a nap (set an alarm!)
- make a gratitude list of what I appreciate today
- look at a photo of someone I love or a place I’ve been
- read a magazine (a real physical magazine)
- take a blank piece of paper and draw something
- sit very still and listen to the quiet
- twist side-to-side, then stretch with arms upward
- work on a crossword puzzle
- write something else
- look out the window and watch the leaves swaying in the breeze
Earlier this morning I read Mary Oliver’s “Wild Geese,” a poem that unfailingly creates stillness and finds the hopefulness in me. Later I watched green trees against a blue sky. I began this blog while waiting in the periodontist’s office–words scrawled on a pad–and even took a few minutes to read a few pages in a People magazine (no need to be a snob!)
Now, finishing this blog entry (in a few Time Tidbits strung together), I feel more connected to myself and less harried by my task-structured day. I feel more balanced and less stressed, even though many tasks remain and I have returned to my computer.
This is not the blog entry I planned to write today, but it is the one that this day brought me. Perhaps, then, the final message of the day is a reminder: work with the day, its structure, its demands. Find ways of being that fit with the free time offered. Be patient and be still. Consider something small.
Questions for Reflection: What do you do with the small bits of time in your day? How often do you fill time with technology? Which technological activities are rewarding and which are not? How do you decide how to use small bits of free time?
Writing Prompts: “What I most want to do in my next free 10 minutes is ______” (then keep writing); “On a busy day I end up feeling ______” (then keep writing); “When I think about Time Tidbits I realize I ______” (then keep writing); “The things I would enjoy doing in Time Tidbits are ______” (make a list and keep adding to the list).
Postscript:
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Yes, we all have minutes of free time spaced out in our day. For years, I carried a book with me everywhere so I could read any time I had free time. Now, I carry a book, but it’s a notebook and I WRITE whenever I have a free moment. So FUN! #blogboost
Yes – FUN! Isn’t that a nice concept?
Thank you for the wonderful ideas. I have been needing to get away from the computer more often. While it is true I have friends online, there is something about doing something offline, like petting the cat or the dog, even cleaning off the desk provides. The physical action provides a far different stimulus. Thank you ~ MJ Schrader
I think sometimes I get so involved in the computer I forget to look around. Even just writing this blog today helped me remember to look up, look out, look around. Thanks for reading (even though that involves being on-line!!) and commenting. Judy
Judy, thanks for this thought-provoking post. I have found that I’m increasingly pulling out my iTouch when I have a few minutes in between activities, or if I’m waiting in line. It’s mindless and “kills time” (a phrase I despise!). One thing I’d add to your wonderful list is to people watch, and even very discreetly eavesdrop (shhhh!
I figure if they’re talking loud enough for me to hear them, they must not care too much)… people are fascinating, and we miss that if we’re buried in an electronic device. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if someday we learn that computers and such literally sap the energy from us (maybe that’s already been found!?). Here’s to living in the original 3-D world!!
Oooh, people watching and eaves dropping – good ones! Maybe “look up and look around” is a good motto. Love your site, by the way!