We all wish we had an extra hour. Right now, I'm sure that there is something (or a list of somethings) you want to do but have told yourself you can't. Longingly, you hope for an extra hour to accomplish these things, lowering your stress and giving you that feeling of accomplishment. Of course we can never literally make more time. There technically is no such thing as "extra" time since hours can never be added to any day.
So the question, "What would you do with an extra hour?" should be replaced by "What would you do with a found hour?"
I found myself with an extra hour on Monday. I drove to the gym at 5:30 to get in my weekly half-hour run only to find that it was closed (due to it being a quasi-holiday). Instantly, I had found an hour.
I came home, brewed coffee, and got to writing, focusing in on my big goals for this year. That found hour allowed me to write, mark some things off my to-do list for the week before I leave town, and get ready for a busy week.
Here's a list of things you could do with a found hour:
- Watch TV (while relaxing, this may not give you a sense of accomplishment)
- Take a nap (again, relaxing, but you may actually feel groggier afterward)
- Call someone (a great way to finally dial the digits of that person you've been meaning to connect with)
- Plan something (take out pen and paper, or even your phone)
- Write something (many a book has been written in hourlong spurts)
- Read something (expand your horizons)
- Dive into your hobby (edit videos, scrapbook, fly a kite)
- Go for a walk (the benefits of which are overwhelming)
Unless your circumstances demand it (you're overworked or sick), I say skip options 1 and 2 and get on with the rest of this list. That found hour is not an extra one unless you're disciplined.