Waiting can be a frustration or an opportunity
- Karen Wilson: Family Corner
- July 22, 2024
- 600
How do you feel about waiting? Is it a frustration or an opportunity?
Recently, I found myself in the waiting room of a dentist’s office. All the other people waiting with me, about 15, had their phones out and looked absorbed. A good thing or a bad thing?
I guess it depends on what they were doing on their phones. Reading? Writing? Making plans? Completing assignments? I admit I often jot notes or dictate sections of these columns on my phone. It’s a convenient way to get my thoughts down so I don’t lose them.
Of course, time can be filled in playing games or scanning social media. If you’re tense, it may be just the thing. But if not, perhaps you could use the time more productively.
Perhaps jot down a journal entry, write a meal plan or make a grocery list. Plan your workouts for the week. Review your goals or write some. Check your tasks list and organize your activities.
Make a list of fun things you would like to try or places you would like to go.
Write out things you are thankful for.
Start a guest list for a future get-together. Pick a date for that party or plan the menu.
Little bits of time show up throughout most of our days if we learn to look for them.
One of my farm tasks is to fill several water jugs. If I walk away, a jug invariably overflows, but just watching the water get higher seems to take a long time, even though it is just a minute or two. So I have started using the time to get in some stretches and squats that I always seem to have trouble finding time for during my regular workouts. This way I get them done every day, and the jugs act as a reminder. I feel productive instead of impatient.
Standing in line somewhere? Try doing some calf raises. Check your posture and correct it if necessary.
When you find yourself at home waiting but with just a bit of time, get a few simple chores done. Empty the trash. Fold some laundry. Wipe off the counter. Organize a shelf in the refrigerator. Polish a mirror. Clean out one drawer in your kitchen or closet.
Pick out five things to give away and set them aside. Better yet, bag them and put them in your car. Next time you’re out, drop off the donation.
Drink a glass of water.
Waiting in your car but not driving in traffic? Gather up trash so you can dump it at the first opportunity. Use wipes to clean off the steering wheel or dash.
Maybe just use those minutes to notice and appreciate your surroundings. Look at the sky. Enjoy the sunrise. Watch the chicks and ducklings chase bugs.
Keep a list of quick tasks. When you find yourself with a few extra minutes, check it and get something extra done. Those bits of time and small tasks add up.
It can be enticing to wait for big blocks of time to get things done, but life just doesn’t necessarily happen that way. Learn to see the extra opportunities in your day. You’ll feel a sense of accomplishment instead of frustration.