Free time decreases the busier we are. But when there is an abundance of it, we look for ways to spend it. Free time has to be converted into time for something else. It could be reading, writing, watching TV, playing video games, finishing chores, running errands, working on a project, etc.
In this sense, free time is like currency. With the allotment we have, we have to choose what to spend it on. As soon as we drive home from work, free time starts to tick as the minutes and hours go by. Free time gets eaten up faster than we can use it. Making dinner. Cleaning the dishes. Folding laundry. Watching the news. Surfing the web. By the time it’s 10 P.M. or later, there’s no free time left. It was just pocket change.
However, free time can be converted into something worthwhile, something meaningful, even if it was spent on a challenging or arduous goal, much like work. When we invest it into something that not only brings us joy, but that improves our knowledge, skills, or is the product of our imagination, such as a painting or story, it can fulfill a need to express or discover something about ourselves or the world. Whether it’s art or music or a DIY project, once it’s completed, we can look back at it and say that it was time well spent.
Fallton Havenstonne 