All work and no play, they say, makes Jack a dull boy. Yes, they say hard work is the way to success, but you’ve got to find a way to balance the extra work you’re putting yourself through.
Do you know that the way people spend their spare time can have a huge impact on their success/productivity in their professional world? That’s right. You read that right. The productivity you generate in your free time can be passed over into the success of your professional duties.
For instance, Neil Patrick Harris who got into stardom in his late teens/his early 20s when he starred in the hit TV show, Doogie Howser, as recounted in his autobiography, whenever he had a couple of weeks of vacation, he would travel down to NYC to see as many Broadway shows as he possibly could. He was doing this because he wanted to see professional actors at the top of their game. Today, he is a celebrated, award-winning actor, writer, director, presenter, and host.
In this blog post, we’ll be sharing with you 5 interesting things you should do in your free time.
- Seek inspiration and fresh experiences
According to Danielle LaPorte, an author and business expert, “try getting out of your obvious bubble: If you’re a chef, go to a museum. If you’re a painter, head to a top restaurant. Seek inspiration in unexpected places.”
If you have the time, you can go on a weekend getaway or a vacation. Be around things that can inspire you or around things that’ll leave you feeling refreshed and eager to launch into work once again. Putting yourself in a new environment (either in your own city or abroad) can activate your brain in new ways that can result in an energy boost.
- Read a good book
Have you ever picked up a book intending to glance through it only to find yourself reading through the first chapter already? As a matter of fact, you can’t wait to finish reading the entire book. That’s the power of a good book.
Now, have you wondered why you feel that way with some books while for some others it’s a different story entirely? Well, you see, we all seek self-development. We want to read about something that we haven’t read before. Most importantly, we want to be involved with something that will have a direct positive impact on our lives. And more often than not, these things are recorded between the hardcovers of a book.
Successful people understand that reading introduces them to new characters, new environments, new cultures, new philosophies, and new ideas. It expands your knowledge and keeps you up-to-date with new development in your career, as well as improves your thought process.
Reading also helps you build your vocabulary, comprehension, and your communication skills in general.
- Learn something new
Learning is always fun. Whether you choose to learn a new language, a new skill, a musical instrument, or anything else, the most important thing is to go for an activity you love and learn. The most successful people in the world are the ones who make a commitment to never stop learning. You can even add some of the skills you learn to your resume to give you a career boost.
Thanks to the world of the internet, online tutorials, and web-based informational courses are some of the ways you can learn new things.
- Network and build relationships
Most networking events take place outside corporate environments. For instance, weekend breakfasts, cocktail hours, and the likes do not happen during working hours.
For instance, Thomas Jefferson, the third U.S. president, was known for his legendary dinner parties. Jefferson would invite a variety of people he found fascinating and then pose a deep, philosophical question for everyone at the table to answer. Mind you, no small talk allowed!
You see, life is much more than working round the clock every day just to earn yourself a few bucks. It is essential to know how to build and value relationships. For instance, when was the last time you had a deep, meaningful, face-to-face conversation with a friend, a colleague, or a mentor?
Don’t be so concerned with meeting new people in order to land new sales or contracts, instead connect with people deeply. Most of the time, these connections could result in new ideas that could lead to a career leap.
- Exercise
If you think exercising is basically for athletes or people who want to lose weight, then you might want to take your time to read this properly.
The dictionary meaning of exercise is any activity that requires physical effort, carried out to sustain or improve health and fitness. Also, as defined by Healthline, “Exercise is defined as any movement that makes your muscles work and requires your body to burn calories.”
Oh! Okay. Maybe you know what exercise is, but you do not know what it does, nor do you see any reason to exercise as often as you can. Here you go.
Several studies have revealed that people who exercise 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week, enjoy better overall brain health. Exercising gets your blood pumping, and your endorphins flowing, builds your muscles, helps you burn calories, and oxygenates your brain- which helps you relieve stress.
It might not seem like fun at first, but exercising, alongside reducing stress, helps you look better, feel better, and boosts your overall confidence. This confidence, in turn, improves your productivity at work and everywhere else.
Besides, exercising helps you practice mindfulness to help you relax, improve productivity, facilitate creativity and maintain your overall well-being.
Although there are so many other ways you can spend your free time, picking up one or two habits from successful people can improve your mindset and your abilities, thereby increasing your chances of success at your workplace.
Thank you