According to the dictionary, leisure means:
“the time when you are not working or doing other duties”
Ever since I’ve split my time between coaching and being a content creator, I feel like I’ve been either blessed or cursed. The line between work and leisure is blurry. I could either see all my time as leisure or none at all.
Before I left my corporate job in 2013, I used to look at my calendar. Every year I would figure out the long holidays, and plot my vacation. The farther the better. After booking the airfare, I’d research the hotels and I would spend a chunk of time mapping good restaurants on Google Maps. When I did actually leave, I would rarely think about work. I knew it would still be there by the time I would get back. It wouldn’t make a big difference.
Fast forward 8 years, and lots have changed. I no longer have my 8-to-5. Instead, I have kids, private coaching clients, a YouTube channel, a blog, and a newsletter. Don’t get me wrong, I love my clients, my kids, and my creative pursuits have been enriching and fulfilling on many levels. But when thinking about writing a piece on leisure, it took me some time to internalize the fact that either the idea of leisure had changed or very little of it existed in my life at present.
Ever since I have started identifying myself as a “content creator” I have had a hard time isolating work from non-work activities. My creator mind is always activated and everything I interact with or do, is fair game for potential content that may become interested to explore.
It's the perfect storm to fall into exhaustion and burn out. And it needs to change.
The following are action steps that I want to take to make time for non-work/leisure
Set boundaries
Much easier said than done. I remember putting down the kids during the holidays and opening my laptop to finish my newsletter until 2am. Another day, I forgot to bring my laptop home over a weekend and I couldn’t get any work done. On Monday, it wasn’t the end of the world. Life just went on, as usual.
I need to remember to limit my access to work when I spend time in leisure or with family. When my body demands a break, it's better to listen before it's too late. The world doesn't stop.
Focus on highlights. Not too many
I am juggling a few things at a time but I need to be gentler with myself, and more realistic about my output. And a great way to do this is by setting [highlights](https://maketime.blog/article/choose-a-highlight-to-make-time-every-day/#:~:text=A good rule of thumb,most people need a break.). Not too many but just one or two things that I want to focus on and get done. For me, it could be shipping one YouTube video or making one Twitter thread. A highlight could also be having a long walk around the park. Or a date with your kids or spouse. Whatever it is, just make time for it and celebrate when done.
Create more buffer in my schedule
In this relatable post, Wes Kao says that everything takes much longer than we expect. Things will not get shorter but what we can do is allow for more tolerance in our calendars. Instead of having 5 things in the to-do list, we’ll just have fewer things, spread out in time.
I have recently decreased my coaching and teaching load in the past few weeks. Sometimes, this is another solution. To reduce workload. But unless I figure out the previous 3 points, I know my schedule will continue to overflow.
So leisure, you have to predict it, design for it, and protect it.
Article by: Monica Lim
Monica is a a communications and career coach based in Seoul, South Korea.
My Website → www.monicalim.co
Twitter → @monicalimco
LinkedIn → @monicalimco
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