Those who are mindful about being productive and achieving goals know that focused attention is the key to productivity. But how does it apply to those fleeting moments of downtime? What you do during your free time can rejuvenate you or drain you. While binge-watching your favorite television series once in awhile can be helpful to get some needed entertainment and relaxation in, building better habits can help you manifest the kind of life you have envisioned for yourself. You just have to spend your time wisely.
How Do Successful People Spend Their Free Time?
You’ve seen all those memes about the grind, burning the midnight oil, and the most famous one about sleeping when you’re dead. They are great sayings but hardly practical because, if you don’t relax, you will find yourself closer to death than to your goal. So use your time wisely and take a note from those who have achieved a recognizable level of success.
Related: 4 Communication and Networking Secrets of Successful Leaders
Prioritizing Family
Cars, clothes, and bank accounts are lovely, but they don’t make your life special. Successful people know that family is what counts in life. So prioritizing a fun day where the gadgets stay home but you and the little ones spend some time at the park is a significant activity. You can even cook the favorite foods of the house together and spend the evening cuddled up playing a game like “Apples to Apple” or “Settlers of Catan.” Even the ornery teenagers will get on board.
Reading for Growth
It is a great practice to do every day during those free moments you can take for yourself. The books you read can determine what your future accomplishments. Learning something about your passion or industry is part of your growth.
Connecting With Nature
Nature has a remarkably rejuvenating effect on the human mind and body. Trees provide an extra boost of oxygen that produces those feel-good hormones in the brain. The cleaner air is great to clean out the sinuses. But the overall effect of nature reduces stress and helps you to think better. That means when you are back on the grind you can bring a fresh sense of creativity to your current projects.
Focusing on Nutrition
It is no secret that if you are always eating junk food, you are not operating at a high-value space. Eating to sustain an optimal vitality is a lifestyle choice, and while everybody is different, no one body can maintain itself on non-nutritive “food-like” substances. Make sure real whole foods are the priority so that you can bring your best to the table.
Journaling
Gather your thoughts and ideas in a journal. It this good practice as it helps order the things you have going on in your mind and solve any dilemmas you might be facing. Great thinkers like Da Vinci kept a journal fleshing out ground-breaking ideas.
Getting Adequate Rest
Those eight hours are necessary. They allow your brain and body to rejuvenate. It can reduce inflammation, keep your memory sharp, and mitigate depressive episodes. Naps are also great to power you up after an intense focus session so that you continue to be creative and productive.
Stepping Out of The Comfort Zone
Take a page from Shonda Rhimes and experiment with things that terrify and excite you. Most successful people are not couch potatoes. They will unplug and explore the city, a new country, and different things that pique the interest.
Saying “No” to Prioritize Their Time
Cut out the filler work; if it has to be done, then delegate those things to an assistant. Saying no, and saying it often, will communicate to everyone that you value yourself and your time. It is the only way to preserve your energy for activities that have the highest return on your investment.
Moving Their Bodies
Taking a brisk walk can help to reduce your overall stress level. Yoga can help you practice body awareness. Deep breathing is helpful to lower blood pressure and heal body aches. You are a valuable person, so keeping your body in working condition benefits yourself and all that you care about.
Planning Ahead
Goal setting and planning ahead are essential to maintaining your productivity. Whether you do this on the weekend or you take 45 minutes at the beginning of the week to map out what is needed, it is important to get it done. Use this time to get rid of anything that doesn’t serve your purpose.
Giving Back
Giving to your community in the way of service or donation is an excellent way to stay connected. It reminds you to put things in proper perspective and can help expand one’s level of humanity.
Taking Time to Think
Successful people use their free time to think but not to obsess over problems. A great way to use your brain power is to ask yourself that pressing question before you sleep or before a meditation session and let your subconscious reveal the answer to you.
Related: How to Create Success in Your Business: A Simple Guide for New Entrepreneurs
You may not have the trappings of ultra-expensive liabilities, but you are the only one who can define what success means to you. Living your best life includes being purposeful and making the next generation proud of your legacy.
