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2.25.2013

A Day in The Life: Finding Free Time

Lately I have been feeling a bit like I don't have time for the things I like to do. I know that I have definitely been blogging less. So I sat down to try to figure out if I am managing my time badly, or if one thing has taken the place for others or what is going on.

5:30 Alarm goes off.

5:45 I actually get up.

5:45 - 6:10 Get ready for work, eat breakfast, get dressed, etc

6:10 - 6:30 Internet time: blogs, pay bills, return emails. You can see why my internet presence has been diminished lately.

6:40 - 7:10 Walk to carpool, wait for car, ride to city, walk to work (morning commute). During this commute I really don't have time to do other things, as I am usually chatting with the driver.

7:10 - 4:00 Work. I usually take a half an hour walk somewhere in the middle of all this, in order to get some fresh air and exercise during the day. I am also going to start going to the gym 1 - 2x per week on my lunch break. In that case I will take an hour for lunch and go home later.

4:00 - 5:00 Commute. This takes a little longer than in the morning, since I take the bus home and there is more traffic. Also the walk on either end is a little longer. Each day for my commute, I walk about 2 miles total. I also try to read on the bus ride home, which is about 25 minutes. This is sometimes the only chance I get (make) to read each day.

5:00 - 7:00 Get dressed for a run, get ready for a run and then go running. Lately my runs have been anywhere from 1 - 2 hours long since I am in the height of Boston training (last week: 58 miles).

7:00 - 8:00 Cook dinner, eat dinner, make lunch for the next day.

8:00 - 8:30 Shower, get ready for bed

8:30 - 10:00 Free time. Lately I have been trying to use this time to read, but I have been so tired, so I admit that I often have been catching up on Top Chef or the like. Some days I also use this time to make big meals for the week, or to do some more internet chores. However, I have even been too tired lately to blog or comment on blogs.

The Verdict? Maybe I need to be more specific about what I do during my free time hours? I find that I feel guilty if I don't "do" something productive but I feel tired sometimes if I do. Also, I think running has been taking over, but it's something I like to do, so it's not like I am giving up things I like to do when I am running. I am just doing less of the OTHER things I like to do, I guess. Which is okay. I just feel like I want to curl up all day and read once in a while.

The other thing is the TV. I have been putting it on for background noise during "free time" and then I end up watching it instead of doing other things. I need to either get over feeling guilty about it or stop doing it. "Poop or get out of the ocean", as a lady at work is fond of saying. Don't ask me what that even means.

What does your typical day look like? Do you find that you have enough free time in a day? If so, how do you do it!?

16 comments:

  1. I definitely waste some of the evening hours but I'm usually spent from the day at work. I use to be able to get up at 5 AM at the latest without any issues, somehow that has shifted but I'm hoping to get back to my early workout hour!

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  2. I always thought it was Poop or get off the pot...Either way I feel your pain! I feel like I never have time anymore. I would give yourself a break...you did run 58 miles in a week so right there is why you are tired!

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  3. You are a busy lady! It's hard fitting everything in.. I can't imagine blogging regularly if I was still working full time. Do what you can, but sometimes wasted free hours are the best kind. :)

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  4. Nice! That is a lot like my day of eating layout. Great post. I like working out in the evenings too.

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  5. I feel like this a lot. Even when I have free time I feel that I don't use it wisely. I'm often just to mentally or physically worn out to do much of anything during my free time. I think it's just also harder in the winter because it gets dark easier which, for some reason, makes me feel even more tired. I started picking one extra thing that I wanted to do and making time for it each day. So you'd make time for running but also one other thing you wanted to do. It helped me just to focus on that one thing and remind myself that this is something I like to do and don't have to do. I'd even let TV be that one thing one night a week. It has seemed to help me get through these winter months.

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  6. I do have a lot of free time, but I am also not training for the freaking Boston Marathon SO! Haha. I think you're doing well with all you're juggling. Most of my free time is at night. I have about 3-4 hours after I get off work and before I need to go to bed to eat dinner and watch TV and just be a lump. I try to get my workout in before work so I don't have to worry about it after work.

    I also do a lot of my blogging on the weekend, if I can. That helps!

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  7. That definitely sounds like a full schedule. I had to cut some things out of my life because I was just going crazy without enough free time. Now I think I have too much, so I'm looking for better ways to spend it.

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  8. My day looks similar except that I get up later and sleep in later. Working 9 hour days just takes up that one extra hour I need...

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  9. You have a very full day so I can see where your free time is time to relax and unwind before bed instead of doing other things. With my schedule being so different each day there's not much consistency from day to day as far as specific times during the day that I do certain things but I know I waste a lot of time.

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  10. busy day but I love how much you walk/car pool commute. KC is so bad about that stuff so I love walkable, transits that are good!

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  11. My day feels non-stop from waking up at 4:00 until I go to bed at 9:00 and I wouldn't have it any other way. There are the things I have to do and the things I want to do and if you combine the 2 I don't have any free time. If I did I would find something to do :)

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  12. Oh man, I could do a post like this right now, too. I feel so spread thin. My day is similar in some ways. I get up at 5:30, I work 7-4. I run after work (although much shorter distances!). I give myself 20 minutes to eat dinner and then study from 6-8:30. Then I respond to emails/deal with moving stuff for 30 minutes before bed, and try to get in bed by 9 and have my lights out at 9:30. I have very little downtime and it's really wearing me down. :( Especially since the weekends aren't much better. But this is a temporary phase. Soon the move and the CFA will be behind me.

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  13. Holy you keep a tight schedule! I'm impressed with how quickly you get ready and also how quickly you cook dinner and make lunch for the next day. I take a good 45 minutes to an hour to get ready in the morning (not because I'm high maintenance but because I like to move slowly in the mornings!) and cooking dinner/making lunch for the next day etc. is usually at least an hour or more process.

    I am always impressed when people are so good to sticking to exact routines every day. I have never been like that. I get up at different times every day, go to bed at different times every night and my days look very different throughout the week. I Would like to get myself on more of a schedule though!

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  14. As a single person, my days looked a lot like your days. As a married person with child, my days sort of look a lot like your days, only I'd take out "5-7 run" and replace with "5-7 hang with Gavin." That said, when I was single, I always felt like it was a choice to sit down and enjoy TV or read or blog or whatever. Now? I feel like it's an absolute necessity to check out with the TV at night, because I am mentally done. Sweets feels the same way. I guess that's our time to wind down from the day ... and not feel guilty about it whatsoever.

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  16. You are busy! I bet things will settle down after Boston when your mileage goes down a bit.

    I also feel like I have to do productive things during my 'free' time. And, I have about 30 minutes in the mornings to blog/read blogs... that time goes so fast.

    So excited for you and Boston!

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