Too much free time can sometimes be a burden, but it shouldn’t be. The old saying goes ‘the devil does work for idle thumbs’, suggesting that too much time to sit and think can often lead people down the wrong path. I must admit that I have experienced this over my years, however, it didn’t have to be this way, and time can also be such a good thing and a great luxury. The world and the people in it move at such a rapid pace these days, it can make it difficult to find time for ourselves, time to reflect on what we are doing and what would bring the most joy into our lives. That is why it is so important that we make the effort to create this independent time and learn to focus more on personal development. Most of the time, I find that when I actually get this precious time for myself, I end up wasting it badly. What I mean by this is that I have not been as productive with him as I should have been, and this may have a lot to do with watching too much television. Instead, what I should be doing is focusing on mental or physical personal development. This can be accomplished in many different ways, and each person can discover what works for them. Some people tend to enjoy thinking, meditating, and developing the mind. Others prefer more physical developments, such as yoga, sports, and exercise in general. What is often overlooked is developing creative hobbies, things like playing musical instruments, writing music, woodworking, art, and general design. While we are young, we enjoy many hours working alone in these types of hobbies, and we usually continue to develop them until we reach our career and professional life. It is at this point that many of us will lose focus on what we really enjoy and instead focus on what we think is most important: putting food on the table and a roof over our heads. Yes, we sure do need to earn a living, but it can be very detrimental to one’s existence to ignore what gives one’s mind, body, and soul some bliss and happiness.

For any creative person reading this, you probably understand the point being made and hope you relate to it. It is important to use our time on this planet effectively and that we make something of ourselves. However, it is also essential to know what we like and what we enjoy, and to take the time to give ourselves access and allow time for these rewards. It is food for the soul and will help develop a more fruitful future. If you are happy in your life, you will usually perform better in your career as well, and vice versa. People often just focus on making money and running the rat race, forgetting to feed their souls. Ultimately, this leads to burnout and in the worst case could lead to termination of your job due to poor results and a negative personality. Nobody likes to see a face slapped in the morning, and in some office settings it can be difficult to walk away from any negative energy. If you are unhappy at home, you will bring this energy to work and others around you will feel it. Too much of this will encourage negative reactions from your coworkers and once the snowball takes off, it can be difficult to understand what needs to be done.

Something that I have recently come across online that really impressed me and has given me so many hours of happiness and satisfaction is ‘woodworking’. There are many places you can download woodworking blueprints to help you create and build just about anything. From small home furnishing projects to large-scale outdoor projects. I even learned how to do it and built my own garden shed! If you search for these products, you will find many locations to download plans and designs. In my experience, it has always been worth paying a little to ensure that the plans that are purchased are complete and to a very high standard. There is nothing worse than starting a project, only to discover halfway through that a section is missing, or that the list of tools and hardware required for the project is incomplete. So always look for premium woodworking products, sourced from creators with multiple rave reviews. If you are also a craftsman, then you know what a hugely rewarding feeling you can get from completing a construction project, especially when you are big enough to work and sleep inside. The confidence that can be gained by learning these woodworking skills is almost overwhelmingly positive.

So if you or someone you know is struggling right now and you’re not sure what to do with their free time, suggest that they work with wood. If they are creative and good with their hands, they should definitely give it a try.