What to do with a time windfall

Make the most of unexpected free time

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,
This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is that if you get an unexpected stretch of
free time, be intentional about how you spend it. That way,

(00:25):
you will enjoy your time windfall a lot more so.
On this podcast, I recently shared recommendations about what to
do with a small windfall of money. The key is
to use the money intentionally, so the extra cash doesn't
get folded into your usual budget and forgotten. The same

(00:47):
is true with a windfall of time. If you have
an hour next week because a meeting is canceled, you
could go see an exhibit at an art gallery near
your office, or grab coffee with a work friend, or
do some long term strategic planning. With an afternoon unexpectedly
free on a weekend, you could take your kids to
an amusement park, or get lost in a novel, or

(01:10):
take out your watercolors and paint. When we don't think
about how to use unexpected free time, it's easy to
just unload the dishwasher, or process email or putter around
the house, and there's nothing wrong with those things. But
there's nothing particularly special or memorable about them either. Much

(01:32):
better to make a conscious choice and spend the time
on something that matters to you. Windfalls of time were
on my mind when I read a recent New York
Times article about money windfalls. Financial advisor Ariana Alicia Bono
was quoted as suggesting you create a windfall plan every

(01:53):
year for how you might allocate any larger windfalls of money.
It's kind of a nice problem to have, but what
percent would go to debt or savings or spending and
so forth. That way, you won't be caught up in
the emotion of a windfall. Instead, if you get a windfall,
you will execute on your windfall plan that is in

(02:13):
keeping with your long term goals. That seems wise, especially
for people who are likely to get some sort of windfall,
like perhaps a year in bonus. As is so often
the case, that good idea for money is a good
idea for time too. It is a lot easier to
be intentional about unexpected free time if you have thought

(02:37):
in advance about what you would like to do. So.
I am not sure you need to write up a
windfall plan for time quite as systematically as that article
suggested for money, but I do think it could be
helpful as you are planning your week or doing any
big picture planning for the season, to think about what
you would do with extra time. For instance, in your

(03:01):
weekly planning, you might decide that if you have a
windfall of an hour during that particular week, you will
call your sister, or you will bake some bread. And
your fall planning, you might decide that if you have
a windfall of a half day, you'll have lunch with
a friend who lives ninety minutes away, or spend the
afternoon revamping your wardrobe, or put together a photo book

(03:24):
from the past year. With a plan in mind, you
will be able to use any time that is not
spoken for in a meaningful way. What's more, when you
have specific and doable ideas in mind for any windfalls
of time, you might even get through your Saturday afternoon
life maintenance tasks faster so you can act on your

(03:47):
wonderful ideas now. To be clear, thinking through what you
would do with a time windfall isn't about putting one
more thing on your to do list. You are not
saying you have to do these things. It is about
dreaming of how you would spend a stretch of uncommitted
time that presented itself, so you are ready to make

(04:10):
the most of it. Snow Days happen, plans get canceled,
projects sometimes go faster than expected, and it is fun
to have an idea for something special to do. That way,
you will enjoy the extra time. It might feel a
bit like winning the lottery. In the meantime, this is Laura.

(04:36):
Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of
our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've
got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at
Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a

(05:03):
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