Unintentional Leisure Time = Killer of Men
Leisure time should be planned. There is no greater threat to progressive improvements and discipline than unintentional leisure time (ULT). The downside of ULT is greater than the upside. It’s possible that in these sporadic ULTs that you stumble upon an insight or have a great business idea. But how many hours must be wasted to get there?
Time is the most valuable asset. Planning in leisure time can lead to greater creativity because you know that from time T1 to T2 on Saturday morning you can simply focus on relaxing or whatever leisurely activity you love.
Let’s take an example from a famous King whose ULT caused great harm. King David from the Bible. For one of the battles, King David choose to remain in Jerusalem and sent his troops to fight.
What happened next is what makes David’s story an excellent anecdote. While David was on his palace roof, he saw the beautiful Bathsheba bathing on a roof. He wanted her. So he sent messengers to find out who she was. Turns out it was Uriah’s, one of his top soldier, wife. But David still wanted Bathsheba and decided to sleep with her. Got her pregnant. Tried to cover his tracks. Failed.
Then David sent word to the commander with instructions to have Uriah put at the frontline just to kill Uriah.
All this because of ULT. David lazed around his palace instead of fighting side by side his men. Of course, there are many other lessons to draw from the story. This is one of them.
ULT is the killer of men insofar as it can unthread days, weeks, months, and years of discipline. ULT is the opposite of having a ritual or routine.
Making sure to avoid ULT is a habit that I’m continually working on by planning. My planned leisure times are Sunday afternoon until bedtime. And sometimes Saturday evenings (I often watch UFC on Saturday evenings with friends).
There have been times when I’ve stumbled upon ULT, and I have to think hard as to how I want to use that time. Usually, I turn my attention to listening to talks or podcasts. But this is not always a great use of time either.