Thoughts on wasting time

bobcat

bobcat

Well-known Member
Location
Northern Calif
In our working years, we are made aware that time is money, and being on the clock, we need to make every minute count. However, I remember hearing a quote years ago that made me rethink that mindset. It went something like: "Wasting time isn't necessarily time wasted". Sometimes we put pressure on ourselves to always be productive, and even feel a bit discouraged because we didn't get much accomplished today, and the to-do list grows longer.

After we retire it can become more of a paradoxical dilemma, We have more time to do whatever we want, but on the other hand, the sand slipping through the hourglass doesn't ask whether it's being used well, and it is finite. Is wasting it a wise choice, or should we even care? Perhaps the most meaningful and enjoyable times in life will be the ones we spent doing nothing but enjoying the moment without feeling guilty. Time is a strange thing.

It may be time wasted by worldly standards, but going for a walk or drive with no destination, or just enjoying music or a good book, or sitting on the front porch with a cup of coffee and watching the world go by, may be one of the simple pleasures we have worked so hard to enjoy. Perhaps that's what should be on our to-do list.

Maybe time is only wasted when there is no reward.
 
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In the movie “A Bronx Tale” Lorenzo’s dad (Robert De Niro) tells his son nicknamed “C” that
“The saddest thing in life is wasted talent".

It took me awhile to think about this, but it finally dawned on me that there is no further truth than this when we are just wasting our time away. We all have a talent, but it’s what we do with it that defines us. I can reflect back in my lifetime when I did nothing, but hangout or do a job haphazardly just to get it done. Made me think “what a great line.” I know this line isn’t a one size fits all, but it caught my attention.
 
When, at 18, I first complained about 'Wasting Time' between loading planes, I was told to always carry a paperback book
to pass the time. (way before AirPods)

Later in the civilian workforce, I wondered why lunchtime was always so SHORT!
Then Douglas Adams explained it to me in his famous quote, "Time is an Illusion. Lunchtime Doubly So."

What I consider a hobby or just connecting with myself as quality time, others might call a Waste of time.

So Be It...
 
Good post Bob. Sometimes I'm quite the time waster. Sometimes I ask myself "what did I do all day". But I can be quite productive as well. I know I should be just enjoying my "wasted" time, which is usually spent relaxing, reading articles, playing games on my phone and watching a little bit of T.V., but it comes with a cost (more to do the next day) and I start feeling guilty about not being more productive. I wish I could strike a balance so that I don't feel I'm wasting time.
 
I feel better on days when there is much to be done, I get them done, then sit down at the end of the day to relax. Vacant days that seem to just monotonously slip away because there is little to do are unrewarding and leave me frustrated.

Planned "wasted" time is okay - those times when I set aside a day to do nothing except fun stuff, which would be like visiting a mall, taking a country drive, stopping in for an ice cream cone somewhere, going to another town - part or all of that would keep me away from home most of the day. I need to do that now and then to have a change from the everyday routine.
 
I was never much good at time wasting until I retired. Initially, I tried to achieve something every day and would feel guilty when I had non-productive days. It took a while and a lot of practice but eventually I discovered that I am really good at wasting time. :)
 
I think I have always been my worst enemy when it comes to time. I guess, being more of a driven person, I just hate the thought of getting behind on things because that means more to do tomorrow. However, those daily and weekly goals are self-created, so who is really to blame for the timelines.

These days I have settled into a more balanced approach because I know I will never get everything done that I put on my plate. So, part of the day is for pure enjoyment (Whatever suits the mood), and part is for attention to the to-do list. But if I don't get it done, I won't beat myself up over it. It takes time to un-learn mental habits. When you're young, goofing off is viewed as being lazy, but when you're older, that relationship with time needs to change. Idleness isn't the devil's workshop. It's discovering that there is more to life than accomplishments.
 
After retiring, I had more time than I knew what to do with. Nearly all of it spare time, leisure time, free time. I didn't know what to do with it.

I decided to get a foster-parent license. They call it Resource Family now. I did foster parenting for several years. That was enriching, kept me busy and engaged, and helped some kids, but it had its downsides. Dealing with Child Protective Services was definitely no joy, and getting attached to kids who were given back to their messed-up parents was heart-breaking.

So I joined a volunteer animal-rescue group for a while. I was the trapper, and 95% of my targets were feral and abandoned cats. That proved too hard on my back, which is a mess from years back, so I decided to get back to just sitting around doing paintings and pen-and-ink drawings, and doing an occasional wood or sewing project. That chewed up a lot of time, but it was frustrating because my hands started getting jerky and unpredictable, and my vision got bad, and sitting or standing for long periods with tension in my torso aggravated my back problems.

I still do sewing projects now and then. Simple ones; a summer dress for my granddaughter, pajama bottoms for Meesh and I, beds for the cats, that kind of thing.

But I'm just killing time until my time comes.
 
MACKTEXAS said:
I intellectually understand what your saying, and even agree with it, but after a lifetime of working and having to make every minute count, I haven't been able to make the emotional change necessary to apply it to my life. I wish I could.
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Well, I kinda look at spending a little time on the forum as a break from my chore list, so at least you carve out a little time for that as well. Maybe you're not giving yourself enough credit.
 
Wasting time thoughts ...

Attention without resistance is a kind of quiet freedom where nothing needs to be different for the moment to be enough. Bonus is you aren't keeping score.

Most of the time, attention is split. Part of you is in the moment, and part of you is pushing against it. This is boring, this shouldn’t be happening, I should be doing something else, how long is this going to take. That pushback is the resistance.

Take that away, and what’s left is simple awareness. You’re just there, noticing, without trying to edit the experience. Not trying to speed it up, fix it, or turn it into something more useful.

It doesn’t mean everything suddenly becomes enjoyable. Sitting in traffic without resistance doesn’t make traffic fun. It just removes the extra layer of frustration you add on top of it. There’s less tension because you’re not fighting reality.

Okay, I wasted enough time with those thoughts. Can I get a receipt for that, please and thank you ;)
 
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