Fiend at Court Unplugged
Heading into New Year’s Eve last week, I shared twelve “Gifts” that you can give to yourself to jumpstart your tennis life. Each item on that list is essentially a tennis related life hack shamelessly adapted from a cybersecurity career development webinar that I gave in 2019. I will be revisiting one of those items in more depth on the first Friday of each month this year. In January, I am focusing on the “Gift” of Time.
Carve Out (or Reclaim) Time for a Tennis Related Activity
Gift #1
Chances are that you have recurring periods in your weekly routine that are not productive or aligned with what you value. Time is an irreplaceable resource that is continuously exhausted. It can never be restored once it passes.
Consequently, as a general life practice, it is important to periodically evaluate how this precious resource is invested. It is very beneficial — and sometimes humbling — to ruthlessly examine where waking hours actually go. You may discover periods when your time can be put to better use.
I need to pause for a moment to emphasize that I personally do not regard leisure and social activities that you enjoy as time that is wasted. Those things are genuinely important to a happy and healthy life.
Productivity is not about turning your schedule into a game of Tetris, cramming as much as humanly possible in your day and your life.
Excerpt from “Saying ‘Yes’ To ‘No’: The Power Of A Stop Doing List”
That being said, there may be a chance to reclaim underutilized time from the margins. Some opportunities might arise in conjunction with activities that are compulsory or even valued. For example, parents spend a lot of time waiting around for children who are attending soccer practices or piano lessons. With a little bit of conscious thought and anticipation, you can use that time on something that you always intend to do, but never get around to.
Finding the Time
There are really two parts to this “Gift.” The first is finding the opportunities in your daily schedule to spend time that you are wasting into something that you value more. The second is figuring out the activities that you would rather do with that time and how exactly to fit it in.
A sense of where time is going is essential. If you are struggling with this part of the exercise, it could be that formally tracking your time might provide valuable insight. A recommended link for doing that is provided below from Laura Vanderkam’s blog.
Another approach that I love is the “Stop Doing” list. Just because something has been in your weekly time landscape for a long time, doesn’t mean it has to stay there in perpetuity. There may be opportunities to delegate some of those activities or to eliminate them all together.
What To Do, What To Do…
The second aspect required to give yourself this “Gift” is figuring out how to better spend your time. You may already have a list of the things you intend to do, but never get around to. You should also have a sense of where you want to focus your time and energy that aligns with your values. Additionally, there also should be a clear understanding of the “Why.” In fact, “Why am I doing this?” is an insightful question to ask yourself.
As a tennis focused blog, these “12 Gifts” are proposed within a tennis centric framework. If you are reading this post, there is a high probability that the ways to better invest your time might be tennis related. I assume (and hope) that my readership is focused on how to make a positive impact in the tennis ecosystem as well as improvements to their own tennis play.
If you are wondering what you should be doing with your time, that is the “Gift” that will be discussed in more detail in February. In the meantime, if you set any New Year’s resolutions or goals, those things can provide valuable insight.
Finishing Shots
If it seems like this topic is near and dear to my heart, it is because it is. This blog was launched two years ago after I realized that I was squandering an inordinate amount of time in the early morning hours. You may not inadvertently discover a new passion project with a similar effort, but then again… maybe you will.
The Full List of “Gifts” from the posts in December
- 12 “Gifts” To Improve Your Tennis Life (Part 1)
- 12 “Gifts” To Improve Your Tennis Life (Part 2)
- 12 “Gifts” To Improve Your Tennis Life (Part 3)
- Saying ‘Yes’ To ‘No’: The Power Of A Stop Doing List, Robert Glazer, Forbes, September 12, 2018.
- Time log analysis, Laura Vanderkam Blog, January 13, 2021.
