We all want to be free. Free to spend our spare time how we want to. Free from financial worries. Free from worry about health problems or stress at work. But is there such as thing as too much freedom?
The constraints that are placed upon us by family, parents as we grow up, teachers while we’re in school and bosses in the workplace can give us structure. Not all restrictions can be seen as 100% negative because certain aspects of our daily routine are essential. We have to earn money to pay the bills. We have to meet family obligations. We have to pay for the luxuries we want to enjoy in life.
Imagine a lifestyle with no rules, no restrictions and complete freedom. How many people say when they retire they become incredibly disorganised. People who are searching for work lose their routines and struggle to get back into that routine when they find work. Having certain requirements and restrictions on your time and finances can keep you on track and stop you from slipping into a lifestyle with too much freedom.
When does freedom become too much?
At what point do we become lost in our own freedom? Perhaps it’s when we can choose to do anything or be anything at any time.
If we have too many options available, we can spend too much time wondering whether we’re making the right decision rather than choosing what we want to do and making the most of it. The person who has to squeeze their passion in alongside a full time job prioritises their time and maximises every opportunity. The person with 24 hours a day to spend however they want to can flounder and procrastinate, not making as much progress for the comparitive amount of time invested.
Actually settling on a decision, path or way forward can also be harder with too much freedom. If we can do anything, so many of us end up doing nothing because there’s no pressure or driving force to push us forward. Having something to propel us along can be so valuable yet we don’t always recognise its value.
How can we maximise our freedom?
If you have the freedom to pursue your dreams and follow your heart, it’s important not to waste the opportunity. So how do we do that?
One of the main places we’re productive in our life is the workplace or during our education. Something both these establishments have in place is workloads, tasks and deadlines being set by an authority figure. We have to deliver our piece of work and fulfill our role as employee or student, and although we moan about having to do these tasks, there is a lesson we can learn from this.
Imagine setting your own workload in your spare time; setting yourself targets and deadlines by when you have to complete particular tasks. Depending on your level of motivation, this may be enough for you. However some of us would just give up and not bother.
There is a range of apps for tasks such as exercise, like Daily Burn, that enable us to track progress. Keeping a diary or doing an update on Facebook, Twitter or other social media platforms can be just as effective a method, therefore, and can shame you into maintaining your commitments, either privately or publicly.
If your hobby/passion or target is something photographable, why not create a picture diary of your progress. Flickr, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are all great for sharing progress too, and other people’s feedback and comments on your activities can also serve to motivate you to stick to your aims.
Essentially, although it seems contradictory, if you’re struggling with having too much freedom, put your own restrictions in place and you should find your freedom can be spent achieving and progressing rather than procrastinating.
Recent Comments