5 ms·

I know several people who accomplish great things in their spare time. The common theme is that those projects are their entertainment. They get off work and ca

I know several people who accomplish great things in their spare time. The common theme is that those projects are their entertainment. They get off work and can't wait to go work on their projects. They go to bed on Friday night excited to have time on the weekend to work on their stuff. On the other end of the spectrum, I've mentored college grads for a while who would always complain that they never had time to do anything. I'd often ask them to open up the screen time report on their phone and they'd be shocked to discover they were spending 4 hours per day on Reddit or Netflix or something. You have to choose to make things a priority. It's fine if you just want to relax in your spare time, of course, but the key is to be deliberate about those choices rather than letting the flow of entertainment media carry you away.

hugocbp 4y ago
I think this is key. If you see it as another project, and then you see other things as entertainment and the things you do to relax, it feels like there isn't enough time. I always envy those people that find true entertainment and enjoyment in active activities like this, instead of just passive entertainment to "rest".
beachy 4y ago
I'm not big on motivational but this one from Arnold Schwarzenegger resonated with me and still does. You have so many hours in the day, it's what you use them for that makes a difference https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bumPyvzCyo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bumPyvzCyo
- Cerium 4y ago
  Along the same vein there is that concept that there is no such thing as being "too busy". Anytime you want to say it, you can instead replace "I'm too busy" with "It is not a priority".
  - ackbar03 4y ago
    this is a good tip. I'll keep that in mind
j45 4y ago
Create > consume always
Red_Leaves_Flyy 4y ago
How do these people have the energy for full time jobs, hobbies, and a family? One of those at 100% for 6-8 hours and I’ma zombie.
- thatguy0900 4y ago
  Some people are just far more driven than others, is the reality. Personally I couldn't spend 8 hours at work then come home and work on a hobby for 4 hours every day either.
  - ajdegol 4y ago
    Work doesn’t have to tax the sprit so greatly; there is a way to work that gives you energy.
    - Red_Leaves_Flyy 4y ago
      Care to share all the jobs you’ve had? I suspect you’re speaking from a position of immense privilege but want to give you the benefit of the doubt.
      - ajdegol 4y ago
        Quite the opposite. There have been moments, when the mission is right, and you are aligned with purpose. You see it in glimpses outside of "jobs" (note I said "work" not jobs).
        Red_Leaves_Flyy 4y ago
        So how do you survive if not by working for a living as the vast majority of humans must?
- elteto 4y ago
  If you have a "typical" family with two young children (say <10 years old) the reality is that you would be sacrificing your time with them to spend on your hobbies. Each day only has 24 hours and this applies for _everybody_. Assume your kids are going to school and the parents go to work. Then the only time when everyone converges at home is ~4 to 5 hours between 4 and 9pm. This is the time slot when you have dinner together, bathe, do homework, go to the playground, do sports, do house chores, go grocery shopping, etc. By the time you are done putting them to bed you are exhausted and there's still house chores to do for the adults, tidying up for the next day, preparing school activities, etc. And you have not been able to spend quality time with your partner yet. This is just reality. You can't get around it. You may me able to squeeze extra hours from here or there, such as by not sleeping 8hrs, but most people can't do that consistently. Therefore, if you are in the above situation then it's incredibly difficult to spend time on hobbies, no matter how motivated you are, because it is a question of time, not motivation. So don't feel bad if you prioritize spending time with your children for now because this time won't ever come back. You can always start a new hobby but you can't always take your child to the playground. As they grow older you might be able to align your interests with them and spend quality time together, but even then you have to align yourself more to what they want than viceversa. You won't be modding a Starlink terminal with your child and have him remain interested and engaged the whole time. But together you might build a cool world in Minecraft or whatever. Spend your time wisely! It doesn't come back.
causi 4y ago
It's so easy to get trapped in a local minima when with just a little effort you can have a much better time. I got so much happier when I made a conscious effort to play videogames instead of doomscrolling.
teux 4y ago
The screentime report was jarring for me as well. It sounds silly, but I used the parental control on my iphone to turn it «dumb». I can still use the internet, but blocked most social media sites and apps, reddit/etc. My good friend has the passcode. If I need them I can use my laptop/desktop, but it’s not as gratifying and right there. My screentime dropped by 4-5 hours per day, it’s insane. Now I get bored occasionally and (unintentionally) frustrated my phone can’t solve that, but I do read more, and work on more hobbies.

hugocbp 4y ago

I think this is key. If you see it as another project, and then you see other things as entertainment and the things you do to relax, it feels like there isn't enough time. I always envy those people that find true entertainment and enjoyment in active activities like this, instead of just passive entertainment to "rest".

beachy 4y ago

I'm not big on motivational but this one from Arnold Schwarzenegger resonated with me and still does. You have so many hours in the day, it's what you use them for that makes a difference https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bumPyvzCyo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bumPyvzCyo

Cerium 4y ago
Along the same vein there is that concept that there is no such thing as being "too busy". Anytime you want to say it, you can instead replace "I'm too busy" with "It is not a priority".
- ackbar03 4y ago
  this is a good tip. I'll keep that in mind

j45 4y ago

Create > consume always

Red_Leaves_Flyy 4y ago

How do these people have the energy for full time jobs, hobbies, and a family? One of those at 100% for 6-8 hours and I’ma zombie.

thatguy0900 4y ago
Some people are just far more driven than others, is the reality. Personally I couldn't spend 8 hours at work then come home and work on a hobby for 4 hours every day either.
- ajdegol 4y ago
  Work doesn’t have to tax the sprit so greatly; there is a way to work that gives you energy.
  - Red_Leaves_Flyy 4y ago
    Care to share all the jobs you’ve had? I suspect you’re speaking from a position of immense privilege but want to give you the benefit of the doubt.
    - ajdegol 4y ago
      Quite the opposite. There have been moments, when the mission is right, and you are aligned with purpose. You see it in glimpses outside of "jobs" (note I said "work" not jobs).
      - Red_Leaves_Flyy 4y ago
        So how do you survive if not by working for a living as the vast majority of humans must?
elteto 4y ago
If you have a "typical" family with two young children (say <10 years old) the reality is that you would be sacrificing your time with them to spend on your hobbies. Each day only has 24 hours and this applies for _everybody_. Assume your kids are going to school and the parents go to work. Then the only time when everyone converges at home is ~4 to 5 hours between 4 and 9pm. This is the time slot when you have dinner together, bathe, do homework, go to the playground, do sports, do house chores, go grocery shopping, etc. By the time you are done putting them to bed you are exhausted and there's still house chores to do for the adults, tidying up for the next day, preparing school activities, etc. And you have not been able to spend quality time with your partner yet. This is just reality. You can't get around it. You may me able to squeeze extra hours from here or there, such as by not sleeping 8hrs, but most people can't do that consistently. Therefore, if you are in the above situation then it's incredibly difficult to spend time on hobbies, no matter how motivated you are, because it is a question of time, not motivation. So don't feel bad if you prioritize spending time with your children for now because this time won't ever come back. You can always start a new hobby but you can't always take your child to the playground. As they grow older you might be able to align your interests with them and spend quality time together, but even then you have to align yourself more to what they want than viceversa. You won't be modding a Starlink terminal with your child and have him remain interested and engaged the whole time. But together you might build a cool world in Minecraft or whatever. Spend your time wisely! It doesn't come back.

causi 4y ago

It's so easy to get trapped in a local minima when with just a little effort you can have a much better time. I got so much happier when I made a conscious effort to play videogames instead of doomscrolling.

teux 4y ago

The screentime report was jarring for me as well. It sounds silly, but I used the parental control on my iphone to turn it «dumb». I can still use the internet, but blocked most social media sites and apps, reddit/etc. My good friend has the passcode. If I need them I can use my laptop/desktop, but it’s not as gratifying and right there. My screentime dropped by 4-5 hours per day, it’s insane. Now I get bored occasionally and (unintentionally) frustrated my phone can’t solve that, but I do read more, and work on more hobbies.