We all have so many other things that we could be doing with our time. Some are things we want to do, while others simply have to get done.

After spending a few years creating a big to-do list in January and finding most of it incomplete in December, I’ve decided to try something different.

The idea of this blog is an experiment. What tools work for me, and where does it go wrong?

What Do I Consider A Main Thing And An Other Thing?

Before we start, I should tell you what I mean by a main thing and an other thing.

For me, the main thing is one that takes the majority of your time. Often, people think of this as their job. Calling it a job, however, makes people think only of paid employment.

A main thing could be any of the following:

• Paid employment.
• Stay-at-home parent.
• Full-time caregiver.
• Student.
• Volunteering or community work.
• Whatever single activity consumes most of your time.

Other things represent all the other stuff in life.

• General life admin.
• Socialising.
• Relaxing.
• Hobbies, interests, and sports.
• Volunteering
• Side hustles, small business, and entrepreneurship.
• Anything else you are passionate about.
• Something you’ve always wanted to do, but never had the time for.

In some cases, there might be overlaps. Volunteering, for example, might be something you do at the weekends. For someone else, it might be closer to a full-time ‘job’.

Why Do I Care About The Other Things?

I think the other things are where life’s magic lies. So we definitely need to look at how we get to do more of those.

When there are so many other things that we need or want to do, how do we choose between them? And, how do we give time to the ones that are really important to us?

Sure, there is the boring stuff that needs to get done, like paying bills, fixing the leaking tap, or putting the rubbish out.

But then, there is the magical stuff. The things we enjoy, that fulfill us, or simply represent some form of a personal challenge we feel a need to conquer. It doesn’t matter what they are, just that they are important. All too often, these are the things that languish on our to-do list.

If you write down your list of other things, somewhere on that list is something pretty important to you. Something you think you want to do or to become.

We put them off with any excuse we can find. We don’t have enough time. We’re not ready. We’re too young, or too old.

Great, But What’s This Blog Actually About?

Initially, the blog is about three things.

• How do we get to do more of the other things in our lives that we want to do?
• My journey with trying to do more of the stuff I want to do.
• Writing – which is one of my other things.

I’ve wanted to try writing a novel for a long time. I have absolutely no idea if I’ll like it. That’s part of the journey – is this something I’ll enjoy? Is it something I’ll follow through on? Where might it lead me?

You’ll have to read on to find out.