Time You Enjoy Wasting Is Not Wasted Time
I heard this thought from John Lennon that I think is so important to remember. But before that I want to comment on something - We live in such an accomplishment based society that values being productive and doing it all. Maybe you’ve felt a pressure to fit more into your day yourself. That’s because we’ve learned to see productivity through the lens of working hard. More productivity is less procrastination, less distractions, and more focused concentration so that you can get more done, right?
I disagree. I think true productivity is just about doing more of what you want. Beyond work, errands and all of your responsibilities, you can be productive on social media, watching tv, or doing anything actually. What matters most is that you’re doing what you want to be doing. It can be for your mental health, a recharge, because you enjoy it, whatever it might be that is serving you. But the unfortunate part is that we resist accepting those reasons as a good enough and instead judge ourselves for not doing more “productive” things.
That’s where I want to jump back to the John Lennon quote - “Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” What might be viewed as wasted time by someone else could be what’s most important for you. And when that becomes the measuring stick, what naturally happens as a result of that is you spend time doing traditionally “productive” things because you have a deep desire to contribute, a need to grow, and a strong motivation to pursue self-actualization. But then you’re doing it because you want to and not because someone told you to, and it gives you space to do everything else without judgment.
So be honest with yourself and answer this question - What do you genuinely enjoy doing that other people might think is wasting your time?
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