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After years of worrying that I wasn’t saving enough for retirement, I was forced to retire. A good man is financially prepared should this happen. I wasn’t. I have found something that I am good at that helps with this situation. I am good at doing nothing. In 2018 I plan on spending more time doing nothing than in 2017. You can too.
When asked what I have been up to lately. I often say, “nothing much,” and then think of something I have been doing lately so I can report on that towards keeping the conversation alive. Most aren’t interested in knowing more about how well I have been doing nothing.
If you have been enjoying doing nothing, then you know what I mean. If not here are some suggestions to get you there.
Question what you have been taught about doing nothing. Most men have been taught that the most important things about being a man are related to doing something. Doing nothing is often considered to be lazy. This can cause a man to limit his idle time by prematurely getting back into action. To prevent this from happening, be careful with the way you think while doing nothing. Remind yourself that you have, in part, earned the right to do nothing. Have gratitude for factors that all you to do nothing for awhile. Remember that you will be able to do things more effectively if you are rested from doing nothing.
If you find yourself feeling guilty about having things that need doing, think again. Is there a chance that somebody else should be doing it besides you?
Think about having some humility. How much of the mess do you think you can handle anyway?
Some men spend too much time believing that if they aren’t working hard, they should be playing hard. This is the cause of some financial bankruptcies, sports injuries and missed days from work.
If you are a man and can’t stand sitting still, perhaps there is something wrong with you. Perhaps you believe that if you are not doing something dangerous or at least interesting nobody will like you. This can lead to criminal activity, which can lead to enforced doing nothing.
Remind yourself that doing nothing is usually less expensive than doing something. By doing nothing more often you may save enough resources to do a more quality something in the future. If you make your doing nothing a quality doing nothing, this saving of resources is easier to do.
Tips for adding quality to your doing nothing include a focus on sensual pleasures. For example one of my favorite places for a do-nothing session is in an easy chair by a window. I focus on how good my butt feels resting on the seat cushion. I prefer to have no music playing. I allow traffic noise outside to be my music and perhaps the sound of the wash spinning in the dryer.
Looking out the window I enjoy seeing what I see, not wishing I was seeing something else.
I used to feel sad seeing old men sitting doing nothing. Now I am not sure what I’m looking at.
It is impossible not to be screwing somebody or the environment while I am doing nothing. For example, while I am feeling all cozy when the oil finance kicks on I can think about the pollution or the slave wage system that has the men who deliver the fuel are stuck in. I prefer to compliment myself for not contributing to the expenditure of jet fuel or paying to travel to Rome, while others can barely afford basic television cable package, while I am doing nothing.
It is, of course, impossible to do absolutely nothing for very long, given the need for breathing and all. I also like drinking coffee while I am doing nothing, with drinking coffee is actually doing something. I guess doing nothing is a matter of degree.
It is so easy to forget all of the work we have done to get to the point where we can do nothing. So easy in fact that we can miss the opportunities
If you start feeling lonely, bored or depressed while doing nothing these feelings may pass with a little patience. If they don’t, it may be time to text somebody, find something to do, or be responsible for a mess you made.
This time of year you might be experiencing more leisure time and more access to stuff to play with. You might go back to believing that the point of your existence is keeping busy. Remember that this is a time of year when many contemplate the value of spiritual practices. Many of these are best described as being a focused doing nothing.
I am going to stop writing now and find something better to do, like nothing.
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