Whether you’re an entry-level employee, a CEO, or anywhere in between, leisure may easily be put to the side if you’re consumed with your job. However, there are several ways to make the most of your free time rather than burning yourself out with work.
Some of the most successful people on the globe utilize their free time to practice self-care, focus on ways to improve creativity and learn new skills. Here, nine members of the Young Entrepreneur Council discuss what they believe every professional should do in their spare time if they want to excel in their careers and improve their lives.
Younger members of the Entrepreneur Council believe that all professionals should do this to better use their free time.
1. Take some time to ponder
Your downtime is, without a doubt, the most productive period of your day and week. You take in information, think critically, and reflect on how things are going and what you should do next. These periods are sometimes misinterpreted as sloth or relaxation. This isn’t a relaxing situation. That is what I call “lively relaxation,” which is something that one of the finest entrepreneurs I know does daily. Some people do it while working out or walking. Some people do it while sipping their cappuccino. You’ll be surprised at the realizations you’ll reach if you take the time to think to yourself in your own home. The fact is that our company’s name (branding), hiring procedures (expertise), and scalability were all “aha” moments for me at this period (methods to develop). — Sief Khafagi, Techvestor
2. Enhance non-work-related expertise
Work on developing or improving skills that aren’t directly related to your profession or business. Public speaking, writing, programming, videography, and various other skills are in high demand across a wide range of businesses. You should use such abilities to advance in your current field or prepare for your next career. Make a project out of something you’ve always wanted to study or better. — Kalin Kassabov, ProTexting
3. Get acquainted with biographies
Keep in mind that academic courses alone will not teach you anything. In reality, once you’re in the game, you’ll discover that being an expert in your field isn’t enough; in real life, you’ll confront numerous obstacles that you don’t anticipate and that aren’t addressed by what academia teaches you. Biographies are an engaging and enjoyable research tool, but they are sadly undervalued and forgotten. From educating you about great characters’ creativity in circumstances that looked hard to conquer in real life to providing as a tremendous source of motivation when you need to leave everything behind, there’s something for everyone.biographies are an engaging and enjoyable research tool. Kevin Ryan Tao, NeuEve
4. Participate in Actions Outside Your Community
Each professional should participate in organized activities outside of their usual professional community to flourish in their field. You’ll become a much more well-rounded individual as a result, and you’ll be exposed to new people and perspectives. This might be a creative activity like dancing, physical activity like athletics, or a voluntary activity like mentoring. With each activity you undertake, you’ll find it easier to create relationships outside of work, expanding your network. You could even surprise yourself if one of these relationships turns out to be the helping hand you need in your job. Kaitlyn Witman, Rainfactory
5. Be an inquisitive shopper
In my spare time, whether it’s enjoying a meal at a restaurant or shopping in a new store, I want to fully immerse myself in the experience—and to be mindful of what’s working and what may be improved. My insights as a vibrant and active customer fuel many of the changes to my firm. I’m always delighted to bring the perception and perspective I’ve learned across other sectors to my developing client experience. — Lindsay Tanne, LogicPrep
6. Return the favor to your group
Every professional should find a way to give back to their team in their spare time. For some, this means offering their time, while for others, it means passing on a skill to a colleague, peer, or company. For example, I serve on boards of entrepreneur groups as a co-chair. Philanthropy is one of my company’s beliefs, and we respect it when employees take time to give back to the communities they envision. As CEO, I model philanthropic activities by releasing an internal e-newsletter every week. Each staff member recognizes a different staff member for his or her efforts to give back in education and charitable work. Professionals may demonstrate appreciation by giving again during downtime, creating an example. — Rothschild, Dietitian Boss
7. Pay Attention To Mindfulness And Meditation
Meditation or some kind of mindful exercise, in my opinion, is a must for every high-powered professional. If you operate in a fast-paced business environment, you’ll need to know how to slow things down and avoid letting the frantic pace of business get to you. Working toward mindfulness meditation for only 10 minutes each day, or taking a quick yoga practice every day, will help you prepare your breath and reign in negative thoughts throughout the day. They will, first and foremost, increase your productivity and self-assurance at times of high stress. The benefits might last a lifetime and follow you throughout your professional career. Tyler Gallagher, Regal Assets
8. Improve Your Physical Health
Your physical well-being is crucial and may significantly influence your success in all aspects of your life. If you have any spare time, make sure you spend part of it exercising or just being physically active. Mountain climbing, running, swimming, or any other exercise may both lengthen and improve the quality of your life. Young people find it difficult to accept that they will not always feel as good as they do now, but engaging in physically demanding activities early in life can delay their vitality, By enhancing their energy and psychological well-being, this may have a substantial beneficial influence on their work in the long term. Bryce Welker, Testing.org
9. Make a weekly schedule.
Set aside some time to plan. You should focus on your home, hobbies, and leisure in your spare time. However, setting aside some time to reflect on the week’s events and creating a plan for the next week or weeks may help you gain perspective and reconfirm your goals. Take thirty minutes to write down some facts that need your attention and some further sub-points on what actions should be performed for each topic. It will help you get all of your tasks off your mind and onto paper. You can genuinely let go and relax on your days off if you have a strategy in place for when you return to work. You’ll probably notice that ideas and possibilities continue to stew in your mind throughout your break day, and you develop more creative options than if you had just powered through. — Maria Thimothy, OneIMS
