Today I want to write about the topic of how to effectively use one's own time. Although this topic is common, I still want to share from my own practical perspective on how to effectively use one's free time. Although I am still exploring intermittently, I find it very effective. The free time mentioned in this article refers to the time outside of normal work and long commuting time.
Firstly, in order to make good use of one's free time, it is important to distinguish between active entertainment and passive entertainment. Both consume time, but the biggest difference lies in whether there is thinking involved in the process. Typical passive entertainment includes watching dramas, scrolling through TikTok, playing games, etc. This process requires little thinking and only serves the purpose of consuming time. On the other hand, active entertainment involves thinking and personal growth during the process.
In fact, there is no clear boundary between the two. Different people will have different feelings and goals. Take watching movies as an example. Some people will immediately write a review after watching a movie, which belongs to active entertainment. Having insights is a form of growth. On the other hand, some people may just feel moved or excited after watching a movie and that's it. This belongs to passive entertainment. Spending more time without thinking will not yield much result.
From this perspective, what to do and how to do it during free time varies from person to person. There is no standard answer to refer to. Another point is to try to separate work and personal life. During work hours, focus on doing a good job, and outside of work, engage in activities that you enjoy. Self-investment does not necessarily mean pushing work to the extreme, but rather having a balanced work and life routine, maximizing the use of free time.
Secondly, in limited free time, avoid repetitive work. For example, the articles for this period of time are almost pre-written, which loses the true purpose of writing and does not allow for the development of writing skills. This falls under repetitive work. Of course, technical articles may require time for careful organization, analysis, and writing examples. Pure text articles should be published on the same day in order to achieve the goal of improving writing skills. Otherwise, it becomes repetitive work. Practicing during free time is the key to better and faster growth.
Because free time is limited, it is important to focus attention. The best way to concentrate is to set time limits for certain tasks at appropriate times. Simply adhering to these time limits helps to highly concentrate our attention and improve work efficiency. The best example is the exam time during school days. A lot can be accomplished in two hours, which demonstrates the benefits of focused attention.
Lastly, distractions can really affect mood and subsequently attention. Distractions mainly come from four aspects: external factors, thoughts, people, and communication. Personally, I find that the morning has the least distractions, while the evening has the most. Making good use of the morning time is much more effective than staying up all night. Additionally, focusing on the present task and not overthinking is important. Some things are not meant to be considered at the moment, and even if they need to be considered, it should be the most urgent one.
So what is the most urgent one? In my understanding, it is the aspect that you most need to improve on. For example, if you are worried about the future, then spend time improving your skills. In fact, all problems can be attributed to a lack of confidence in oneself. If you have enough confidence in yourself, all worries and problems will no longer be problems.