Using time wisely to make life better for future me
December 22, 2022 4:53 AM Subscribe
I have some vacation time and I'm going to regret it if I spend the entire time staring at a screen...need some ideas!
Especially looking for any ideas where the enjoyment will last beyond the vacation. I've already decluttered thoroughly and everything is pretty organized, but I might spend some time cleaning. Here's the other stuff I have on my list so far:
Painting a room
Garden Research (I've got a big stack of books from the library)
Cooking (Have plenty of recipes to try)
Shopping for clothes at Goodwill
Decoupaging some boxes for friends
Normally I'd spend as much time as possible outside and I could really use that right now, but it's going to be below freezing most of the week.
Especially looking for any ideas where the enjoyment will last beyond the vacation. I've already decluttered thoroughly and everything is pretty organized, but I might spend some time cleaning. Here's the other stuff I have on my list so far:
Painting a room
Garden Research (I've got a big stack of books from the library)
Cooking (Have plenty of recipes to try)
Shopping for clothes at Goodwill
Decoupaging some boxes for friends
Normally I'd spend as much time as possible outside and I could really use that right now, but it's going to be below freezing most of the week.
Best answer: I would ask yourself if there's any reason you have to have your phone on at all. I would ask yourself how you think it would go to just turn the darn thing off for a week. Or maybe just turn it on for an hour a day?
I wonder if a schedule, first off, would be a good idea? Exercise, meal prep, hobby time. Time. Of the most productive times in my life for my hobbies was when I scheduled time to do them. For something I was just learning, it was 10 minutes. I would often say to the Ms., I have to do my 10 minutes!
In general, I think hobbies are wonderful things. I tend to focus on base skills, whether it be drawing or music, but I'm sure you have a mental list . Maybe there's a choir nearby, if that's something you're interested in, or a seminar on something you're interested that you can attend? Does your city have a weekly that lists events?
You mentioned garden research. Does that extend to planning? It's not too early to buy seeds, plan everything out on a grid, set up a space to start seeds, etc.
Have fun!
posted by AbelMelveny at 5:24 AM on December 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
I wonder if a schedule, first off, would be a good idea? Exercise, meal prep, hobby time. Time. Of the most productive times in my life for my hobbies was when I scheduled time to do them. For something I was just learning, it was 10 minutes. I would often say to the Ms., I have to do my 10 minutes!
In general, I think hobbies are wonderful things. I tend to focus on base skills, whether it be drawing or music, but I'm sure you have a mental list . Maybe there's a choir nearby, if that's something you're interested in, or a seminar on something you're interested that you can attend? Does your city have a weekly that lists events?
You mentioned garden research. Does that extend to planning? It's not too early to buy seeds, plan everything out on a grid, set up a space to start seeds, etc.
Have fun!
posted by AbelMelveny at 5:24 AM on December 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
In the first month of the pandemic shutdown, I started an exercise program. And to my own great surprise, I've stuck with it since then, though I've had to scale back the schedule from every day to every-other-day. When the weather is OK, I go running. Otherwise, I ride a stationary bike.
posted by alex1965 at 5:38 AM on December 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by alex1965 at 5:38 AM on December 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I have previously been in this position and found it helpful to do a "home audit" or a "personal goals" audit.
The point of the home audit was to look for major projects that I had been putting off and allowed to fall quietly off my radar. So, when I spent the time, money, and labor to fix some badly decayed decking, it made being outdoors at my place significantly more relaxing. My next project like this is a "small" project I have delayed for ~6 months -- gathering the piled leftovers from said decking project into a tidy box where they will be accessible and not cluttering up the garage.
The point of the personal goals audit was to consider things I care about, or have historically cared about, that I haven't been doing. Depending on the time, that's resulted in realizing things like "oh, I haven't actually read any sort of comic or graphic novel for 8 months, let's change that."
posted by cupcakeninja at 6:20 AM on December 22, 2022 [9 favorites]
The point of the home audit was to look for major projects that I had been putting off and allowed to fall quietly off my radar. So, when I spent the time, money, and labor to fix some badly decayed decking, it made being outdoors at my place significantly more relaxing. My next project like this is a "small" project I have delayed for ~6 months -- gathering the piled leftovers from said decking project into a tidy box where they will be accessible and not cluttering up the garage.
The point of the personal goals audit was to consider things I care about, or have historically cared about, that I haven't been doing. Depending on the time, that's resulted in realizing things like "oh, I haven't actually read any sort of comic or graphic novel for 8 months, let's change that."
posted by cupcakeninja at 6:20 AM on December 22, 2022 [9 favorites]
Best answer: You mentioned cooking--do some batch cooking and freeze smaller portions for later! Many soups, stews, and casseroles can be easily frozen. Your future self will be so happy to be able to have a nice meal with minimal effort!
posted by bookmammal at 9:05 AM on December 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by bookmammal at 9:05 AM on December 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: At least with the painting, researching, and cooking you should dig into a book or series of books you've been wanting to read, on audiobook to listen while you work. I've been doing this lately (a friend got me on a Naomi Novik kick, first the Scholomance books and then the Temeraire series) and I'm eager enough to get back to my books that I'm coming up with chores to do.
If your library integrates with the Libby app, it makes audiobooks as easy as the Audible app.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:43 AM on December 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
If your library integrates with the Libby app, it makes audiobooks as easy as the Audible app.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:43 AM on December 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
I'm taking the longest (voluntary) vacation I've ever taken, the first two weeks of January.
I'm gifting myself a 3 hour (dramatic) hair colour change. The next day will be the first of 5 RF microneedling treatment for my face.
After that recovers, I'm going to spend a lot of time improving my makeup skills (I'd go to a MAC or something, but I've splurged way more than enough the last month, and I'd be too tempted to buy all. the. makeup.).
posted by porpoise at 12:24 PM on December 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
I'm gifting myself a 3 hour (dramatic) hair colour change. The next day will be the first of 5 RF microneedling treatment for my face.
After that recovers, I'm going to spend a lot of time improving my makeup skills (I'd go to a MAC or something, but I've splurged way more than enough the last month, and I'd be too tempted to buy all. the. makeup.).
posted by porpoise at 12:24 PM on December 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by mhoye at 5:10 AM on December 22, 2022 [11 favorites]