Waste Your Time Better

With practice, you can make wasting time a productive art form. Others may scoff or not exactly see the value in what you are doing, but if you are going to do things for leisure you may as well get the most out of your time.

(It’s also important to learn to remove as many minor inconveniences from your life as possible.)

I am a recovering video game addict. I used to play Everquest, Dark Age of Camelot, Dungeons and Dragons Online, World of Warcraft, you name it for hours on end each day.

After Everquest, I was surprised to find that I could actually derive some value from games. With a little bit of effort, I gained the following skills from these games.

• I made myself learn how to type correctly and quickly. I type much less often now that I no longer play, but at one point I could type incredibly fast. (My typing instructor in high school said that if I could type 120 words per minute then I didn’t have to do any more work the rest of the year. I clocked in over 140, and from then on I spent that class period tutoring kids at the nearby elementary school.)
• I learned how to be polite and tactful in electronic communication.
• I learned the basics of commerce through the games’ auction and player trade systems.
• I learned the importance of teamwork.
• I learned the importance of persistence and perseverance.
• I learned that all things should be enjoyed in moderation.

It may sound like I am taking it a bit far, but these are all true. My participation in online games taught me quite a bit. If I had been a bit older then I would probably have found many real-life business contacts and more.

You may hate games, so I’m going to explore some other opportunities you have to waste your time better. I’ve made a partial list of some things that people do to waste time and just a few ideas of what could be done to make it be wasted better.

Television

Watch programs that teach you something. Most shows on Discovery and A&E are good choices.

Movies

Watch foreign films, biographies, etc. – anything which makes you smarter or more culturally aware.

Internet surfing

• Find ways to help people.
• Do research in advance for a project.
• Many, many, many, many, more

Games (console/pc)

I shared my story about computer games, but what about consoles? For most of the games, there isn’t much that can be said; however, I believe that video games can be beneficial in moderation. Effects such as increased reaction time and improved hand-eye coordination are some benefits I acquired from video games. I highly doubt that I would have ever learned to juggle without playing the first Mario game.

Also, try to get games you can play with friends and family. When two people are playing a game, they have something in common no matter what.

Laying around listening to music

You MUST learn to play an instrument if you really love listening to music. It doesn’t matter how long it takes or how little talent you think you have. Music lovers should be music makers.

Snacking

Memorize nutrition facts as you empty a box into your belly. You’ll be the go-to person whenever somebody needs diet advice.

Hanging out with friends for way too long doing nothing

Get organized and do something useful! There is power in numbers. Be a leader and take advantage of your youthful exuberance to do something worthwhile.

Going to Starbucks

Go to a place that has books you can buy read as well as coffee in the same place. I prefer Books-a-Million.

Easy general education classes that have nothing to do with your major.

First, find out if these classes really have nothing to do with your major. Some interdisciplinary connections may surprise you. If there are truly none, take advantage of the fact that you are in an academic setting and covertly get some studying done for other classes.

Myspace/social networking tools

Instead of making 10,000 useless picture friends, try and seriously network with 4-5 people who enjoy something you do.

I might get some flak for this because some people really crave leisure time, but its not like I am referring to a vacation here. I am talking about day-to-day activities.

Analyze your daily life, find areas where you are being a little too easy on yourself and not getting much done, and find a way to be more efficient. If you do this, your real leisure time will be even more pleasant.