It's OK to waste a little time (2024)

It's OK to waste a little time (1)

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Laura Vanderkam It's OK to waste a little time (2)

Laura Vanderkam

Writer, Author, Speaker, and Podcaster

Published Oct 30, 2023

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I strive to be efficient. I’m sure you do too. There’s something beautiful about a schedule where the work projects get done on time, the chores and errands happen expeditiously, family time and hobbies fit in, and there is still enough time for sleep.

That said, I’ve seen thousands of schedules in my years of studying time management, and I’ve never seen a week where all 168 hours were devoted to top priority matters. It just doesn’t happen. And that’s OK. Indeed, consciously wasting a little bit of time can even make you feel like the time equivalent of rich.

I’ve been thinking of this lately as a few things have changed in my life. First, my youngest child is getting older (as children do!) and he no longer needs quite so close supervision. He also now goes to a sitter’s house during the day for a few Saturdays a month. A key reason for this was so we could manage the older kids’ activities without carting him everywhere, but a side effect is that it makes Saturdays feel more relaxed.

At first, I felt pressure to use every open minute of this toddler-free weekend time very well. I would go to art museums and symphony matinees! I would do elaborate workouts and read multiple chapters in important books!

I do some of that. But when I truly absorbed that this was happening multiple Saturdays per month, and that I could sometimes read or sit on the hammock with the little guy around, I realized it was also OK to just chill. If a weekend wasn’t perfectly edifying, it was OK. There would be another weekend soon enough.

Now that’s not an excuse for total laziness, but as part of this reckoning I remembered that I also do spend a lot of time on my top priorities. I seem to be reasonably productive professionally. The household runs well. I do most of the things on my seasonal fun lists. It’s OK to waste a little time.

A generally smart schedule is the time equivalent of maxing out your retirement accounts and spending a low percentage of your income on set costs like housing. If you do those things, it’s OK to not watch every penny. Indeed, it can be quite fun to be a little profligate. Personally, I like going to the grocery store and buying the red peppers. They’re always more expensive than the green peppers, so I get a little thrill from feeling flush enough to spend the big bucks on vegetables.

Likewise, it’s OK not to watch every minute. If you are confident that the bulk of your time is spent on the good stuff, then you can scroll for a bit or stare at the ceiling. Indeed, such time profligacy just might make you feel flush. I have so much time I can even waste a little! Given that time is our most valuable resource, that’s not a bad mindset at all.

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Sebastian Bates

Founder at The Warrior Academy & The Bates Foundation | Operating across 7 countries in 4 continents | Sponsoring 4,000+ Orphans & Street Kids | Award Winning Entrepreneur | 2x Best Selling Author

8mo

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Absolutely, sometimes a little time extravagance can lead to the best moments!

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It's OK to waste a little time (2024)

FAQs

It's OK to waste a little time? ›

Wasting time is wasting time, but it's more purposeful than to chalk it up to being unproductive. Wasting time is about de-cluttering and recharging yourself. It's an opportunity to re-focus and perform much better than if you were “always hustling”. Even binge-watching can be incredibly helpful.

Is it okay to waste time sometimes? ›

Wasting time is wasting time, but it's more purposeful than to chalk it up to being unproductive. Wasting time is about de-cluttering and recharging yourself. It's an opportunity to re-focus and perform much better than if you were “always hustling”. Even binge-watching can be incredibly helpful.

How do you say politely not to waste time? ›

I know your time is valuable but I have one more question. This isn't working for me and I have to decline. I don't want to take up too much of your valuable time but… I appreciate your time, so I'll be brief.

What does it mean to waste time? ›

to not make good use of the hours, etc. that you have available: If you'd done your work instead of wasting time on your phone, you'd be finished by now. I try not to waste time worrying about things that I have no control over. Don't waste your time dwelling on the past.

Why shouldn't we waste time? ›

Bad wasting time would be doing trivial and unproductive tasks. Other bad wastes of time are activities where nothing is learned or procrastinating when you shouldn't. Simply put, wasting time can be beneficial when you need to recharge. But, what if you're letting those bad wastes of time consume a bulk of your time?

Why time wasting is bad? ›

Decreased Productivity

One of the most obvious consequences of time-wasting activities is a decrease in productivity. When we spend hours scrolling through social media, watching television, or playing video games, we're taking valuable time away from the tasks that matter most.

Can time truly be wasted? ›

The idea that time can be wasted is a fallacy. But the guilt, shame, stress, and frustration associated with this it are very real. But remember this: our world—and human beings—existed before time.

What is a better way to say "waste of time"? ›

waste time (verb as in idle away time) Weak matches. burn daylight dally dawdle delay dillydally fiddle about fritter away time goof off kill time linger loiter lollygag lose time pass the time piddle procrastinate shilly-shally take one's own sweet time take one's time tarry while away the time.

How do I professionally say you are wasting my time? ›

I'm flattered that you want to [pick my brain/work together/meet weekly], but I think we should re-group and think about what we both want to accomplish during this time before we proceed.” You can put your own spin on this statement, of course.

What do you call someone who wastes your time? ›

Meaning of time-waster in English

someone who causes another person to waste time doing something that does not achieve any good result: The ad was answered by a lot of time-wasters who didn't even seriously want the job.

What is a good way to waste time? ›

  • Take selfies of yourself using Snapchat filters. ...
  • Stare at yourself in the mirror. ...
  • Visit pointlesssites.com. ...
  • Think about doing something productive, then don't do it. ...
  • Stare at the ceiling. ...
  • Watch and comment on the weather. ...
  • Make a list of everything you are going to do once free. ...
  • Play Chrome's hidden dinosaur game.
Apr 28, 2020

How should I not waste my time? ›

Here are nine easy ways to stop wasting time:
  1. Forget the to-do list. Create a schedule, and stick to it as much as possible. ...
  2. Shut off notifications. ...
  3. Categorize your goals. ...
  4. Batch similar tasks. ...
  5. Do you need that meeting? ...
  6. Breaks are critical. ...
  7. Forget perfection. ...
  8. Say no before you say yes.
Feb 21, 2023

Why do I waste my time so much? ›

One of the biggest reasons we waste time is that we don't manage our energy well. Every task requires a certain amount of energy, and we often fail to plan our days according to our rising and falling energy levels. What's more, we often just plow through the day, not giving our brains and bodies space to rest.

Is wasting time ok? ›

The bigger point is that long-term productivity that avoids burnout and exhaustion requires some amount of brain rest, and to get that kind of rest, you might need to waste a little time. Here are three advantages to engaging in activities that feel like time-wasters: Brain rest helps us reset.

Do most people waste time? ›

Millions of people waste time at work and at home every week. The types of activities that can waste time include repetitive administrative tasks, time spent searching for documents, and wasted time in video calls and meetings.

Is it okay to waste time at work? ›

While it may seem harmless to take a break here and there, too much unproductive time can start to affect work performance, causing employees to lose focus and even impacting their mental well-being.

Is wasting time good for you? ›

Wasting time can help you reduce stress and anxiety. Wasting time can be spent exercising, reading, gardening, spending time outdoors, meditation, laughing, yoga, sleeping, or connecting with friends. These activities may feel like wasting time, but they help us lower our stress.

What is considered wasting your time? ›

Wasting time because you do not want to do something when you could have already completed the task with the time you've wasted is time you will never get back. Procrastinating is very common, but such a detriment to progress and efficiency.

What is it called when you purposely waste time? ›

procrastinate. shilly-shally. take one's own sweet time. take one's time. tarry.

Why do I just waste my time? ›

One of the biggest reasons we waste time is that we don't manage our energy well. Every task requires a certain amount of energy, and we often fail to plan our days according to our rising and falling energy levels. What's more, we often just plow through the day, not giving our brains and bodies space to rest.

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