As a society, it's finally happened. That's right, ladies and gentlemen.
We've lost control of time itself.
(hushed murmurs...)
Surprised? Probably not.
I don't know many people who don't proclaim to be busy all day, every day. And I can count on one hand the number I've met who bask in the enjoyment of a well-balanced life.
Students don't practice because they're too busy.
Students don't get time to chill and do nothing because they're too busy.
And students quit piano because they're too busy.
But there's another alternative. It won't sound sexy. But it works.
Schedule your relax time.
Free time won't create itself. And when we wait for it to magically arrive, our brains are still on work or other stresses. It's not true relax time.
So, try this soon as you're done reading. Get your calendar out for the day. Block off 30 minutes. And label it "relax."
Turn your phone and computer off. If anything else comes up, tell them you have a prior commitment. And enjoy the free time you've created for yourself.
It's not the kind of thing they make Pixar movies about. But, if you don't schedule it in, it won't happen.
So, go. Be the minority that basks in the warmth of precious nothing time. Take a break from the rat race. Regain your control of time instead of letting everyone else manage your to-do list.
And know that, ironically, by scheduling relax time, you're likely to get more done than the people running on the endless hamster wheel.