It seemed important to have a packed calendar. But when I slowed down I made space for spontaneity and funI used to equate a packed calendar with a full life. My days were booked up, well ahead of time, for dinners out, pub quizzes, exercise classes, trips to the cinema – activities that I knew to be beneficial or rewarding.I had been determined to make work less central to my life: I couldn’t burn out when I had so much else going on, I reasoned. But when the time came to follow through on my plans, I tended to find that I had been overly optimistic – not only about how much it was possible to squeeze into a day, but also about my enthusiasm to do so. Continue reading...
The main idea is that constantly over-scheduling social events ended up making the author feel overwhelmed and drained, actually diminishing her enjoyment of those activities. She realized that pre-planning everything took away spontaneity and the ability to listen to her true needs in the moment. By saying "no" to some commitments and allowing for more flexibility, she found that her friendships actually deepened because she was more present and engaged when she did spend time with her friends.
The main idea is that constantly over-scheduling social events ended up making the author feel overwhelmed and drained, actually diminishing her enjoyment of those activities. She realized that pre-planning everything took away spontaneity and the ability to listen to her true needs in the moment. By saying "no" to some commitments and allowing for more flexibility, she found that her friendships actually deepened because she was more present and engaged when she did spend time with her friends.
