Making Time for What You Love

On Sunday night, I met a goal that I had set for myself this year:  I finished my 48th book.  Last year I read 50, and I will likely read 2 more books this month, so will be on par with last year.  It's no secret that I read a lot of books.  You see my monthly recaps, which usually feature 3-4 books.

One of my pet peeves is when people say, "I wish I had time to read as much as you do."  Now, I do understand that my life is probably not as busy as those who have children, but despite that, I think I am pretty busy.  I pack a lot into each year - especially this past year when I spent the first 5 months of the year studying 5-6 days a week for the CFA.  Add in half marathon training, a demanding job, and business travel, and it makes for a busy life (no complaints, I like it that way!). 

When you love a hobby, like running or reading, you make time for it.  I try to be careful about not saying, "I do not have time for ____."  For instance, I read the blogs of many people who make amazing mid-week meals.  I am incredibly impressed by what they eat on a weeknight.  However, I do not say I do not have time to make those kinds of meals, I say, "I do not choose to spend my time making delicious, interesting meals."  Instead, I heat up leftovers, microwave a baked potato, or heat up a can of soup - because for me, it's not worth the effort required to make an interesting meal.

Bottom line - life is about choices.  Most nights, my tv does not get turned on - instead I opt to read.  For me, the best way to unwind from a long day is to either knit or open up book and get carried away by the author's story.  But for others, they may unwind by cooking, watching tv, or sewing.  To each their own!

So that is how I found time to read 48 books this year.  This post is best summed up with the following quote:

"Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”-- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

What do you make time for each day?  Every day, I make time for reading.  I also make time for knitting and playing the piano a couple of times each week as these are also stress-reducing activities.