Apr 24th, 2026 Friday Sunny
I have a wide range of hobbies.
That is to say, I am interested in many activities, from crafting (knitting, painting) to reading (different genres of books), from making music to board gaming, and anything else that might strike my fancy at the time. I do not pretend to be an expert in any of them, nevertheless I enjoy doing them – engaging my time this way gives me a sense of fulfillment.
Yet there are times I would stress myself out thinking about “all the fun things I am going to do for the day”. Why is that?
Here is what tends to happen: while working, I come up with an idea that I would like to try – a fresh knitting project, a new piano piece to practice, etc. Since I am busy at the moment, I will say to myself, “let me get to that when I have time.” Sometimes I even write that down so I do not forget later.
Then I feel justified to leave it on the shelf for now.
The same scenario would occur numerous times. Each time I add another item to my increasingly heavy metaphorical shelf.
Eventually, the hoped-for leisure time has arrived, a break from employment or just some paid time-off. Very excitedly, I pull out my record, with the desire to check off all. Being a fairly conscientious person, I need to “deliver” my promise.
Because now I DO have time, right?
The problem is, I do not have unlimited time. If I have a two-day vacation, realistically the maximum hours available for non-essential “fun” things would be around twenty. That might be enough for finishing one book, OR a pair of mittens, OR composing a duet.
Not ALL of them.
It is funny that I am known to manage my tasks very effectively in professional settings, and I rarely ever overload myself. Yet when it comes to daily life, I become so ambitious that I could pack my schedule with too many commitments (to myself).
Perhaps the thought of leisure blurs the hard fact that time flows at the same pace, whether you are in the office or not.
Unlike cats that can fit into seemingly impossibly tight spaces if they choose to, time spent on everything is additive. Once a spot has been filled, no others can enter unless the first entry is replaced.
Just as I do with my job, either I need to be choosy and prioritize what I want to do first, or I have to set reasonable expectation. Stuffing a long to-do list (even though every single piece is pretty cool) that normally take one week into two days and towards the end of it, banging my head on the wall for not completing / making as much progress as I had wished seems sorely against the grain.
Another lesson learned from my sweet kitties 🙂