When I was just out of college, all I wanted was money. Now, pushing fifty, all I want is time.

Not just any old time. Free time. Time to hang out doing whatever I want to do.

I’ve not always felt this way. I’ve had my days of burning the midnight oil. But at some point, which I can only vaguely pinpoint as “sometime after needing reading glasses”, instead of the oil burning, it was me. I was tired and cranky. Pete (my Yorkshire Terrier) was despondent from lack of attention. Getting that better job, those stock options, that new car, was becoming just not worth it.

Today’s blog is about how I save time instead of money. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and ragged, no matter what your age, read on.

Seven Easy Steps I Follow to Increase My Free Time

1) I’ve established a work/life balance - I moved from a fifty-sixty hour per week job to a forty hour per week job. And I’m lucky. I find my job stimulating, yet routine enough to meet my needs. I work a ten hour day, four days per week. I’ve stayed at the same company for a number of years to maximize vacation benefits.

2) Even with the long work days, I get as many errands done during the week as I can. What I don’t finish, I do during off hours, when the stores are less crowded.

3) I don’t overbook- Seeing friends and family is fun, but if I feel overwhelmed, it becomes hard work. I’m sure to balance any scheduled plans with an equal amount of unscheduled time.

4) I Get up early- For those of you that aren’t a morning person, skip this step. I am, so getting up at five AM is not a problem for me. I get my spouse on the road, and still have a good 90 minutes for myself.

5) I’m more efficient with chores- or I just don’t do them as often. I plan shorter meal prep times, cook in bulk, and, well, maybe the house is a little dustier than it has been.

6) Give up TV- I realized that watching TV was not the way I wanted to spend my unscheduled time. It’s not as hard as you think.

7) I’ve found free time has to be prioritized, or I just won’t do it.

Time goes by faster as we age. Or at least it feels like it. There are many theories supporting this perception. One was put forth by Albert Einstein in his famous statement, “Time is relative.” If you’re five, one year is twenty percent of your life, and feels a whole lot longer, relatively speaking, then if you’re fifty, when a year is now only two percent of your life. That means time feels like it’s moving ten times faster when your fifty then when you’re five.

Or something like that.

All I know is, it’s flying by, and I’m going to stop and smell every rose I can.

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