Working full time or being a college student eats up a lot of free time, and I’m sure many of you – myself included – wish you had more. Unfortunately, school and job-related time commitments are unlikely to go away anytime soon, so I try to make the most of my free time as best as I can. Choosing to nap, watch TV or just lay around is a completely valid use of free time; we all need to rest and relax sometimes. But I hate defaulting to that just because I’m bored and can’t think of anything else to do with myself. I don’t want to encourage a toxic obsession with productivity, but I usually feel unfulfilled when it’s been a while since I’ve done something “productive” purely for myself, not because I have external obligations to do it.
As a defense against or antidote to this boredom, I always keep a few ongoing personal projects. I use the term “project” pretty loosely. They don’t need to be as serious as writing a novel, directing a film, or starting a business – though they could be. I consider any somewhat goal-oriented hobby or use of free time a little project, short or long term. I’m drawn to anything that will teach me something, make me happy, or make me better in some way. Here are some examples of “projects” to get you thinking of all the ways you can invest your time in yourself:
- Learn a new physical skill or sport (i.e. skateboarding, juggling, roller blading, etc.)
- Read a particular author’s complete works
- Photography or art project
- Learn a new language
- Build a garden
- Do some crafts (knitting, wood-working, machining, scrapbooking, etc.)
- Finish a TV series from start to finish
- Write a poetry collection or short story
- Explore new recipes/bake
Calling these things projects motivates me because it gives my hobbies the same level of importance as my school or work projects. I personally think that hobbies should be prioritized equally. School is pretty fulfilling intellectually, but doesn’t add much to my personal development beyond that. No one is one-dimensional, but focusing too much on school or work neglects the other sides of you that should be explored as well, and limits your personal achievements to one area. I’m proud of myself when I do well in school, but I’m equally proud of myself when I finish making a quilt I’ve been working on for a while. Again, this doesn’t come from the idea that I’m wasting my time if I’m not doing something “productive” (in fact, I probably spend the most time on my personal projects when I’m procrastinating my “real” responsibilities). Regardless of whether you actually reach a tangible achievement or move onto something new instead, you still make progress in finding your interests and making the most of your free time.