February 18, 2011 80 Comments

If You Had An Extra 30 MInutes

stopwatch

If you had an extra 30 minutes, what would you do with it?

You could:

  • Answer 15 or so emails.
  • Make 3 phone calls.
  • Plan 5 blog posts.
  • Get up and go for a brisk walk.
  • Watch a sitcom.
  • Eat a cheeseburger.
  • Update your playlists.
  • Play Farmville.

We choose what we do with our time. What are you doing with yours?

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  • http://www.kherize5.com Suzanne Vara

    If I had an extra 30 min I probably would rush to reach to people that I do not engage with every few days, I would create new emails rather than answer more, I would take a walk with a pen and paper to write down thoughts regardless of what they were. That is the selfish part but goes to what we know and feel, going to what is familiar. But, really almost quietly, I would take my 30 min to volunteer at shelters or at a center that helps teach children how to read. Just being there to listen and lending/extending a hand is taking the dark eyes of the unknown and uncertainty into hope and a eventually a smile.

    Most think about how we can better us in that 30 min but really it is more about taking a part of us and bettering others. The darkness and despair that some face is brightened by those that show they care by spending time, talking, listening and giving more of them than they would have in any email or telephone call within that extra 30 min.

    • http://hannahsharvest.com Hannah Marcotti

      I don’t know you Suzanne, but I adore the things you write. Just listening goes such a far distance.

      • http://www.kherize5.com Suzanne Vara

        Thank you Hannah. That is so very kind of you.

      • http://www.kherize5.com Suzanne Vara

        Thank you Hannah. That is so very kind of you.

  • http://twitter.com/hameedraha Hameed Rahamathullah

    Get up and go for a brisk walk.

  • Andrea Butje

    Read your blog

  • http://www.dogwalkblog.com/ Rufus Dogg

    Or you could go for a walk with your dog which exercises your body and frees your mind to think of big sky stuff.

    • http://raulcolon.net Raul Colon

      I think I might follow your advice will take Juanga for a Walk!

  • Mark

    Sleep :)

  • http://www.experiate.net Paul Flanigan

    Read. Read. Read. Man, do I love to read.

    • http://rickmanelius.com Rick Manelius

      I was going to post the exact same thing :) I have a bookcase full for ‘when I have the time.’

      • http://www.experiate.net Paul Flanigan

        I have a stack of books, fiction, non-fiction, e-books, white papers. I go through phases where I’ll read two books a week, just explode. Then I won’t touch a book for a few weeks. Right now I’m swinging back into reading.

        BTW – I try and review all my books as well. It’s fun to share the good stuff: http://experiate.net/2011/01/25/book-reviews/

        • http://rickmanelius.com Rick Manelius

          Alright, you’ve now got another RSS follower :) I’ll be interested to see what cool books you got going on.

          • http://www.experiate.net Paul Flanigan

            First, thank you! Second, I have a list here – On the desk are Kawasaki’s new book, Duarte’s Resonate, Hsieh’s Delivering Happiness and just finished Content Rules. Reviews coming soon!

          • http://www.experiate.net Paul Flanigan

            First, thank you! Second, I have a list here – On the desk are Kawasaki’s new book, Duarte’s Resonate, Hsieh’s Delivering Happiness and just finished Content Rules. Reviews coming soon!

    • http://www.coryscomments.com Cory Hintz

      I would have to agree with you too Paul. Read blogs, read books, and read with my kids. The key is to continue to learn.

    • http://www.coryscomments.com Cory Hintz

      I would have to agree with you too Paul. Read blogs, read books, and read with my kids. The key is to continue to learn.

      • http://www.experiate.net Paul Flanigan

        Ha. I read to my kids more than I read myself! My kids love to read.

  • Bryan

    Sad reality is that most are doing these simultaneously. No choice is made.

  • http://ClimbingEveryMountain.com Mary E. Ulrich

    It’s good to think of our time. In 15 minutes we can do something for others or for ourselves. Something meaningful or meaningless. We all need up and down time–but by consciously being accountable for our time, we can exercise OUR control.

  • http://raulcolon.net Raul Colon

    I think I would use 30 minutes one day to read more like paul explained, another day to volunteer and help someone like Suzanne said.. and another day take a walk near the beach.

  • http://twitter.com/susangiurleo susangiurleo

    I’m with Mary…We all have 30 minutes. The choice is to consciously make use of it, no matter what you do with the time. Any of the choices above are valid (except Farmville, but that might just be me), it just depends on what needs to be done for work, body, soul or others…The trap many of us fall into is mindlessly using time. We can waste time in a million ways – even working when we should be playing or taking care of ourselves. Think before you burn time…that’s the best way to make it work with you.

  • http://hannahsharvest.com Hannah Marcotti

    make a green juice, drink it, clean the bathroom, do a silly dance with the kids.

    what success that would be!!!!

  • http://twitter.com/wickedjava Mike Dougherty

    Envision two new projects and outline a rough plan of action.

  • http://www.ryanhanley.com/about Ryan Hanley

    After I’ve made my sales calls, and my service calls, and written by blog posts, and spent some time with my wife and read about either Sales/Marketing/Insurance/Economy, I like to scour ebay for deals on Silver Bullion… I’m kind of addicted actually…

    A focused 30 can be powerful…

  • http://twitter.com/marymcd Mary McD

    before I read your thoughts on 30 mins, my mind ran to:
    - engage with my teenage kids
    - check in with my hubby
    - put away some laundry or clean some pile in the house (not office)

    In other words, for me personally, I need to ensure that when I have some time that I can identify as ‘free’, I’m using it to be more well-rounded as a person and more a participant in my family life, not more dedicated in my profession. (I’m plenty dedicated…)

  • http://www.danieldecker.net Daniel Decker

    You should have added “Play Angry Birds” to that list. :)

    For me it’s not about 30 minutes of “extra” time. It’s more so about being “intentional” with all the time I have but I think that’s the point of your post anyways.

  • http://www.danieldecker.net Daniel Decker

    You should have added “Play Angry Birds” to that list. :)

    For me it’s not about 30 minutes of “extra” time. It’s more so about being “intentional” with all the time I have but I think that’s the point of your post anyways.

  • Anonymous

    To be honest, I would find myself creating blog posts(since my blog is an a day away from going live) and answering emails. But a brisk walk is sometimes what I need to get some fresh ideas flowing. Great question! Now to go out and find an extra 30 minutes somewhere….can I borrow from anyone? lol

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  • http://www.beamondcreative.com/ Sam Beamond

    I’d write a blog post or two, have a huge list of topics but have trouble finding the time to post. I usually spend my lunch time doing something blog related.That’s 30 mins

  • http://www.BettermentBlog.com Doug Isenberg

    Take a nap — though I know that’s not politically correct. But as I recently wrote on my Betterment Blog (quoting a Wall Street Journal article), “naps are drawing increasing attention as a healthy option for sleep-deprived workers.”

  • http://aginginplace.com/ Patrick Roden

    Called “choice points” and they make all the difference…

  • Tracy Lee

    Skiing…every moment I get while I can. :)

    And reading blog posts on the lift.

  • http://twitter.com/judymartin8 Judy Martin

    Chris, I’m using your post as a reminder to take a break to meditate. Seriously. But for me it’s less about the extra 30 minutes than it is to remember to schedule those breaks. We’ve got to create that white space for ourselves to percolate. So my official answer is to just be quiet – and see what emerges. Tapping into the unconscious inevitably leads to innovation.

  • http://twitter.com/judymartin8 Judy Martin

    Chris, I’m using your post as a reminder to take a break to meditate. Seriously. But for me it’s less about the extra 30 minutes than it is to remember to schedule those breaks. We’ve got to create that white space for ourselves to percolate. So my official answer is to just be quiet – and see what emerges. Tapping into the unconscious inevitably leads to innovation.

  • http://twitter.com/judymartin8 Judy Martin

    Chris, I’m using your post as a reminder to take a break to meditate. Seriously. But for me it’s less about the extra 30 minutes than it is to remember to schedule those breaks. We’ve got to create that white space for ourselves to percolate. So my official answer is to just be quiet – and see what emerges. Tapping into the unconscious inevitably leads to innovation.

  • http://swizzlecollective.com/blog Swizzle

    Ha, I come here for inspiration because I have 30 minutes to write my own blog post. But I have to comment that if it takes you 30 minutes to eat a cheeseburger, you are doing good in all aspects. I could scarf one down in under five minutes. :)

  • http://www.tricitypsychology.com/blog Kathy

    What we all have in common, aside from being incredibly good looking and talented ;) is that we do all have time to spare…. and time is not forever on our side.

    Don’t get me wrong I’m not trying to sound evangelical here… (or maybe it is an age acquired thing), but I know that I for one uam guilty of “busyness” to a sometimes ridiculous extreme.

    Pause for a thought… our days are limited… Argh! My demise according to calculations is February 15 2035… (panic).

    So as well as writing out things to do in 30 minutes… maybe it would also be a good thing to write a list of things not to do… you know step back and take a look at the bigger picture…give yourself permission just to say no.

  • http://www.10hoursaweek.com Patrick McCrann

    If I had an extra 30 minutes, I’d spend it with my wife. She’s so amazing and supportive, and despite frequent attempts to set aside “us” time I continue to not do this enough. Thanks for the push, Chris!

  • http://www.thejackb.com/ The JackB

    I understand the point, but I need more than an extra 30 minutes. If I am going to find more time I figure I need to think big, like a 35 hour day.

    Work life balance always in flux.

  • http://www.thejackb.com/ The JackB

    I understand the point, but I need more than an extra 30 minutes. If I am going to find more time I figure I need to think big, like a 35 hour day.

    Work life balance always in flux.

  • Anonymous

    We all are given the same 48 – 30 minute periods of time each day. If I had one extra 30 minute period that became available from one of those 48, I’d dedicate it to being more creative, Or, I’d spend the time with people who I love and who would love to spend that 30 minutes with me. We already have so many blocks of time where we DO things. We’re an active, often over driven bunch. These days, I work to spend less time on the people and relationships who don’t give me back as much of my own energy and thus also tie up that precious block of time. Getting that time back gives me that extra 30 minutes – easily. And then I can use that 30 minutes to figure out how to get back even more of my time and my energy — since both are inextricably intertwined.

  • http://www.thepracticalnerd.com Tom Meitner

    I don’t remember the quote, but there was one that basically said that we have the same number of hours in a day as pretty much everybody else who accomplished stuff. Look at what Henry Ford did. Or Bill Gates. Or Thomas Edison. Or Albert Einstein. Or Gary Vaynerchuk.

  • http://www.ann-sense.com/ Ann Marie van den Hurk, APR

    If I had 30 extra mintues a day? I’d spent it with the people who matter most to me: my husband and son. We could go for a walk in the woods or snuggle on the couch. Simple things are often the most important.

  • http://www.hamilllawoffice.com/ Anon

    I had an extra 30 minutes today before I had to leave for a hair cut. I changed the sheets, started a load of laundry, emptied the dishwasher, cleaned the bathroom and cleaned out one of the bags I trek back and forth to work all week.

    My mother used to always tell us to “putter around the house a bit” if we were nagging her to take us somewhere and she wasn’t ready. I have adopted this and it’s amazing how much can get done with a little puttering here and there.

  • http://twohourblogger.com Martyn Chamberlin

    I worked seven hours today at a stone mill. Came home and practiced guitar for an hour. That’s what. Lol

    Oh, and also experimenting with how many comments I can leave on blogs. It takes me an hour to leave ten good comments. What’s funny is, when you promise yourself to comment on every post you read, it forces you to actually read the post and think about it for a minute.

    I know, that sounds really scary, right? Like nobody ever does that anymore. Yikes.

    Lesson learned: if you really want to profit from a blog, comment regularly on it. That forces you to actually comprehend what you read.

    Thanks for the reminder on time management, Chris. I’m afraid I’m zipping into La La land here.

  • http://twohourblogger.com Martyn Chamberlin

    I worked seven hours today at a stone mill. Came home and practiced guitar for an hour. That’s what. Lol

    Oh, and also experimenting with how many comments I can leave on blogs. It takes me an hour to leave ten good comments. What’s funny is, when you promise yourself to comment on every post you read, it forces you to actually read the post and think about it for a minute.

    I know, that sounds really scary, right? Like nobody ever does that anymore. Yikes.

    Lesson learned: if you really want to profit from a blog, comment regularly on it. That forces you to actually comprehend what you read.

    Thanks for the reminder on time management, Chris. I’m afraid I’m zipping into La La land here.

  • http://twitter.com/DavepRogers DaveRogers

    If I had an extra 30 minutes a day what “should” I do with it? Most likely something far different than how I spend the active part of my days. On days when my hands are the keyboard 8 hours, 30 minutes working outside doing manual labor is invigorating. Or days when I have meetings and tons of face time, the 30 minutes would be best spent reading or walking. Maybe that’s just me. But it’s a good rule of thumb.

  • http://www.uprinting.com/custom-poster-printing.html Erica | custom poster printing

    If I have extra 30 mins. I would use it to sleep. because my whole 24hours, I already used them with my work, social life and internet browsing.

  • http://www.TheWebsiteManagers.com Thea

    Short and sweet – but hits you right in-between the eyes! Great post Chris :-)

  • http://the-entrepreneur-club.com/2011/01/facebook-for-traffic-generation/ Martin

    Sleep sounds good. We all run all day long doing this and that and we have every minute of every day planned out. An extra 30 minutes that wouldn’t take away from the rest of my day would most indubitably be used for a nap.

  • http://www.searchmonkey.org/ Marc P

    Dream

  • http://www.searchmonkey.org/ Marc P

    Dream

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  • http://www.TheRelationalMarketer.com ETiebens

    What would I do with the extra 30 minutes? Curl up on the couch, light aromatherapy candles, grab coffee or tea and catch up on my reading! What do I read? Insprationaland marketing books of course…;) What else would I do? Catch up on writing and sending – yes, via snail mail – Thank You and Thinking of You cards… Thanks Chris!

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  • http://damangmedia.com/ Matt Clark – Damang Media

    I like to work less and play more. I try to be more productive each and everyday so I have more time to play! Now depending on the time of year that could be all kinds of things. Currently, it is going to the beach with my kids! Thanks for sharing :-)

  • http://damangmedia.com/ Matt Clark – Damang Media

    I like to work less and play more. I try to be more productive each and everyday so I have more time to play! Now depending on the time of year that could be all kinds of things. Currently, it is going to the beach with my kids! Thanks for sharing :-)

  • http://damangmedia.com/ Matt Clark – Damang Media

    I like to work less and play more. I try to be more productive each and everyday so I have more time to play! Now depending on the time of year that could be all kinds of things. Currently, it is going to the beach with my kids! Thanks for sharing :-)

  • http://www.todayhaspower.com Rob

    I would like to brighten a day a minute at at time for my 30.
    Breakdown: Order flowers for my deserving wife (4 min).
    Ask the cashier at the grocery store how their day is going (1 min).
    Listen to their response (1 min).
    Text my 13 year old daughter to let her know how special she is (6 min). Okay, I’m not the fastest texter.
    Let my Mother know (via email) I appreciate the effort she put forth in raising me by herself (5 min).
    Spontaneously tickle my 6 year old boy (5 min).
    Call my sister while she is at work so I can leave a voice mail. I would tell her how proud I am of her for becoming a nurse at the age of 40. I would tell her how much she inspired me.I would break down and cry (5 min).
    I would leave some dark chocolate on my neighbors’ porch with a short note letting her know we are still mourning with her over the loss of her son (4 min). I know that’s 31 minutes. But, that extra one was worth it. Thanks.

    • Donnasutorcards

      Best use of 31 minutes ever. I think I am in love with you!

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