Four recent reads.

• The Happiness Equation, Pasricha
• Younger Next Year, Crowley & Lodge
• Straw Dogs & The Silence of Animals, both by Gray

A neat concept from Pasricha is to view a week as three bins of time.

• 168 hours in a week.
• Splitting into thirds, we get three bins of 56 hours.
• Most folks drop two bins (112 hours) into sleep, work and commute.
• Leaving 56 hours for everything else, which happens to be the subject of his book.

The author encourages us to have a look at our allocation. Here’s mine…

• Sleep and unscheduled personal time – 65 hours
• Kids — meals, bedtime, homework, housework, dad time and school drops – 40 hours
• Exercise, strength training, time in nature – 21 hours
• Admin, taxes, legal, finances, writing – 15 hours
• Travel, Driving – 15 hours
• Open, Reading – 12 hours

When I bring energetic action, time and expert instruction to an area of my life… I get results.

If it’s not happening then it’s not a priority.

Better to tell the truth — especially to myself!

Younger Next Year was written for Baby Boomers but I found it entertaining and useful.

Around 2030, I’m going to have a 40-hour slice of time land in my lap. Leaving my desk job in 2000, I have been through much of the author’s story. What I haven’t dealt with is aging and decay!

This winter, I learned to ski well. Learning to ski was humbling — I found myself lacking in absolute power, power endurance and quickness. Add that experience to the gradual deterioration of my vision. Aging and decay!

Through an explanation of Harry’s Rules, the book reminded me of other potential gaps in my life — connection, commitment, passion.

“Kids” have taken a big slice of time in my forties. Because we’re likely to have another 15,000 hours to come, I’ve been working on up-skilling everyone.

Some day the “kid” slice will be gone. My marriage will remain.

The two books by Gray (as well as The Soul of the Marionette) were fabulous and challenged the narrative my local community tells itself.

When I’m doing, connected and engaged…

…I don’t overthink any passing emotional state.

It’s worth making an effort to fill-the-gaps.