What a difference three months can make! Back in January, I felt completely overwhelmed with all of my ongoing projects. I committed to trimming my obligations in recognition of the little time I have each day to devote to my own activities. Now, eight weeks into self-isolation, I find myself utterly bored.

I’m cautious with how I spent my time and the thoughts that I let fill my head. Drowning in an ocean of newsprint, especially in today's gloomy news market, is a recipe for disaster. So is idleness.

Idleness dresses itself up in the trappings of rest, but it ends up leaving me feeling empty. When I fritter a day away, I never end up going to bed feeling rested. In a strange way, I feel more exhausted than when I started the day. But when I wake up early and go on my walk, and when I spend my day fully engaged, I go to bed feeling tired in a good way. I feel complete.

I’ve realized that if I structure my day in a particular way, I can have just enough time to work on a few projects. Those times of work provide me with a sense of purpose and accomplishment in my days. So I’m looking back at the things that I’ve cut and am deciding which things I want to dive back into.

Time feels like it’s standing still, but that’s hardly an excuse to waste it doing nothing. Avoid the idleness trap and throw yourself completely into accomplishing something.

Tags: Productivity