Six Ideas for Leisure Activities in the New Year

The holidays are over. You made a few resolutions, and as a business practitioner perhaps having more leisure time is one. How do you actually put into practice what you resolved to have? Good question.

The short answer: you schedule leisure time on your calendar, just like you schedule anything else. What activities will you schedule? Here are some ideas, one or more which could work for you.

Initiate a Card Group
When you were younger did you look forward to playing cards with buddies on a weekly or monthly basis? Perhaps you played poker, bridge, or maybe setback. Maybe it was canasta, crazy eights, or pinochle. Regardless of what you like to play, the key is to get back into the swing. Is there a group in your area that will take you in? Can you form a group? You only need three other players who are committed to having fun, and doing it on a regularly scheduled basis.

Engage Creative Writing
Were you good writer in college or medical school? Did you enjoy it? In any case, would you like to do some creative writing now? You could write short stories, personal essays, poetry, or simple musings to yourself. The great thing about creative writing is it you’re the boss as to when and where you undertake it. As with playing cards, or any other leisure activity, it is best to schedule the dates on your calendar. Once scheduled, hold to it. This is your time. Don’t let the Internet or text messages or any outside interference is creep in.

Sing
Singing is a wonderful leisure time activity which you can do on your own or in a group. If you choose to participate in a group, the odds are you’ll sing more often, because the group will be counting on you! Whether you join a chorus, a choir, or even an a cappella group, you’ll find that the joy of singing comes quickly and easily. If you and your group are gearing up for performance, all the more enervating and exciting.

Teaching a Course
If you are master at something that others would like to learn, and you can dispense your wisdom almost effortlessly, teaching can be a highly worthwhile and fun activity. The local community college or the office of adult education in your county undoubtedly will alert you to course opportunities or needs that someone with your background and skills is imminently qualified to teach. Even once a week, for  90 minutes, can prove to be of great benefit to you and the people who attend your classes.

Walk that Walk
Did you realize that in almost every community there are groups that schedule enjoyable hikes, sometimes on weekdays, and more often on weekends? Visit www.meetup.com type in the name of your city, and type in the word “hiking” or “walking,” you’ll be treated to a potpourri of groups of different sizes with different goals, meet at various times, for different length walks, of varying difficulties. You can’t loseand you have much to gain.

Volunteering
In every community, there are countless opportunities for you to volunteer. Consult the local branch of the United Way, which maintains a book of opportunities for volunteers. You can also simply look up “volunteer opportunities in _______” and insert the name of your town. Volunteering is rewarding on so many levels. It’s up to you to pick the time, the place, how much energy and effort you wanted to devote. Once you “get into it,” you won’t want to stop.