…That when we get some time to ourselves, time without any work commitments, we get so excited, we end up doing…

Nothing!!

Nada… sweet f**k all!

I heard this from a friend who is so consumed by work sometimes that they leave nothing much in the rich end of life for them self.

“When I get time off I get overwhelmed or forget what I wanted to do… I end up doing all the wrong things or nothing at all”

I also see myself in this statement.

You probably see yourself in this statement.

This is all of us at sometime. (Be honest here)

I read somewhere that if we live to the average age of 78 years old and live an average life, then you would only actually have about 9 years left to yourself to do what you want to do.

The calculation above makes allowances for such things as; 6 years doing chores, 4 years eating food, 1.3 years commuting, 9 years consuming content such as TV/Video Games/Social Media… 3.5 years education… etc.

So you are left with 9 years left to do what?

How do you become ‘productive’ for that period of time so that you do something that you really, really want to do?

This is where compliance versus commitment comes in to play.

Compliance: The practice of obeying rules or requests made by people in authority

Commitment: A promise to do something or to behave in a particular way; a promise to support something or someone; the fact of committing yourself…

The idea of why we don’t do much in our ‘off time’ is about our commitment. Our commitment to ourself, to something bigger than just the compliance of getting to work and following orders.

Now, hear me at this point, please don’t get confused by procrastination. I am not talking about procrastination here. Procrastination affects us throughout the full day, throughout the week, at our jobs, when we are playing, when we are happy and when we are sad…

Procrastination is a different thing in this context.

I am talking about being committed to a higher calling, a passion or something you really want to pursue.

When you lack this commitment… your spare time, your 9 hours will be so overwhelming that you will end up doing…

Nothing!

I am so in awe of people who manage to craft some amazing output from the 9 years that they have… people who create great and amazing things in their spare time.

People who choose to be committed and people who choose to spend that time differently…

Artist, musicians, people who are working on learning that next subject, a new language, there online store, their YouTube channel, their children because they are all in on being the best parent ever… poets, bakers and candlestick makers…

Mountain bikers, mountain climbers, walkers, photographers…

‘Knitters are committers’ as my mum would say*

Choose this. Choose commitment. Choose life.

I have been on the journey to spend my 9 years differently…. that’s why this blog exists…

But I don’t have 9 years left so I am cramming like it’s exam time and I skipped studying to go play football in the park.

I’m not sure how much time I have left of my 9 years, but I am damn sure I am going to make the most of it.

My choice now.

How much time do you think you have left of your own 9 years?

You can’t bank it, that’s for sure. So?

Here is the million dollar question for you to contemplate…

How will you spend it?