Often when I talk about being an author, people say, “With your busy life, I can’t believe you find time to write.” And when I start talking about how I love to read, people will invariably say something like, “I don’t have time for reading. I’m just too busy.”
Both statements stem from a similar presupposition–that it’s nearly impossible to find time to write or read amidst the crazy chaos of life.
The problem with such a presupposition is that usually it gives off the impression that somehow the person who’s writing or reading is lazy or else has more free time than the rest of mankind. Why else would they have the time for such “frivolous endeavors” when the rest of the population struggles through each day with overly busy schedules?
Of course it usually irks me when someone thinks that somehow I magically have more time in my life and that’s why I can accomplish all that I do and still have time for reading. It’s during those moments, I want to print out a daily log of what my life looks like as a juggle my large family, home-educate my kids, and manage a full time writing career.
I can certainly go toe to toe with anyone who says they’re “just too busy.” My life is a far cry from couch-potato bliss.
Most people who say they don’t have time for writing or reading (or really anything they enjoy doing), are just making an excuse. (Note I said most people. I realize there are situations where people legitimately can’t make the time.)
The truth is the large majority of us can make time for the things we want to do.
In fact, an article in New York Daily News from 2014 said: The average American watches more than five hours of live television every day . . . plus another 32 minutes a day on time-shifted television, an hour using the Internet on a computer, an hour and seven minutes on a smartphone.
Add up those numbers and that means the average American clocks in about seven and a half hours a day on electronic devices of some kind. That’s almost as much time as many people spend working at a their place of employment!
By the end of a person’s life, they will average NINE YEARS of watching television according to StatisticBraincom. (Sidenote: The average American youth spends 900 hours a year in school but spends 1,200 hours watching TV. Scary, huh?)
Those who say they’re too busy for reading or writing usually aren’t too busy to watch their favorite shows or spend an hour playing Candy Crush. Instead of saying, “I don’t have time” people should just honestly admit, “I choose not to make the time.”
I choose to make the time for reading and writing. But I also do several other things that help me carve out the time:
1. Prioritize. I figure out what I need to get done each day, do the most urgent, and then tackle whatever else I can in the leftover time.
2. Budget time wisely. The buzz word around our house is, “Budget your time wisely.” We’re all given the same amount of hours in a day. It’s up to us how we spend them. We can piddle our time away putzing around doing diddle. Or we can work diligently.
3. Make time for personal well-being. I’ve learned over the years, I need to make time in my life for the things that make me healthy. Writing satisfies my soul. And reading is relaxing and stress-reducing.
So has anyone ever told you that they’re too busy for reading (or writing)? What have you told them (or wanted to tell them)?
Jody Hedlund
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I tell people that say they don’t have time for reading that they are missing lots of enjoyment. It’s fun for me to step out of my life for a little while and enjoy someone else’s. Fiction is my preferable choice and I even get ideas in how to improve my life sometimes when reading a book by a great author.
To not feel guilty when watching TV I crochet. It keeps my hands busy, keeps me from stuffing food in my mouth, and I make things to give away.
I tell them that they have time for the things they love to do. As your quote says, we all have the same number of minutes in a day. Our priorities are just different.
Isn’t that an awesome quote! Although I do have to say, in our busy modern culture we probably have a lot more distractions than they did! But that doesn’t change the number of hours we have in a day. We just have to be careful to guard it!
With 2 young children (one being medically fragile), the question I get a lot is, “How do you have time to read?” And honestly, I follow the points you listed. Prioritize, budget time and spend some me time. Reading is something I love and therefore I make time for it. Just as someone who loves to play video games or go horse back riding, makes time for that. Reading is a place where I can melt into another world and not have to worry about medicine, fevers, doctor visits, etc.
Thank you for sharing, Rachel! I love your sentence about reading taking you away to another world where you get a bit of a break from the stresses of life!
Love this. So very true. I think everybody needs to take the time to do some things that refresh them. Reading does that for me. Other people choose to do other things to refresh themselves or to veg out for a little bit. And if they don’t do anything, they probably should find something to do because I bet it would help reduce their stress levels.
Absolutely agree! Another activity I make time for is running. Today I had to squeeze it in between a lot of other demands. But I made time for it because it refreshes me!
This is a wonderful post and reminds me of when I decided to take back my life and find time to read again – one of my most enjoyable activities. Overwhelmed by my teaching career, I neglected my reading, telling myself I didn’t have time to immerse myself in a book. Then about 12 years ago, I told myself it was ridiculous that I spent each day teaching children to read and love reading, but was not doing it myself. I began spending at least 30 minutes reading before bedtime. Then I made myself read 25 pages a day and found I could complete a book. When a colleague asked me how I had time to read, I told her of my plan.
You are right that people find the time to do the things they want to do. In addition to the time spent on electronic devices, a number of people go to the gym or engage in other exercise. It really is about prioritizing. I am probably one of the few people today who owns a cell phone for emergency use only. I don’t even give out that number because I refuse to be tied to a phone. Most of my online computer use is spent enjoying blogs/activities related to reading.
I don’t mean this to be a rant, but you really touched me with this message.
Wishing you ‘more time’ to continue doing all of the things in your busy life.
So glad the post really resonated today, Betty! And it’s lovely to hear that you have a plan to take care of yourself. What a smart way to do something you love. Sometimes we have to schedule in even a favorite activity (especially when we’re first starting it). It’s all too easy to let other more “urgent” things suck up our time!
You know I don’t like it either when people say they don’t have time to read. But my Mother always taught me you will do and find time to do what you love. And reading is my passion so I find time to read. I don’t have a TV so that gives me time to do other things. BUT I would get more reading done if I didn’t do FB and I didn’t have so many emails.😜😜