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What if you could give somebody a unit of time as a gift?
My friend Leila and I often like to fantasize about a world in which this is possible and speculate about what it would be like. How much would you be able to give?Just minutes, or could you give someone a really generous gift, like a whole year or more? Would you be allowed to buy it for yourself, or only as a present for someone else?
Regardless of how it might work, we both agree that it would be one of the best presents we could imagine.
And, in fact, it’s not really such a far-fetched, sci-fi scenario.
A recent piece by Allison Aubrey on NPR’s Morning Edition revealed the findings of studies showing that “buying time”—i.e. spending money on services that save time out of the day, such as home cleaning or getting food delivered—left participants feeling happier than buying material goods did. The rush of acquiring a new product can often be fleeting, but the joy that comes with a sense of found time in the day, however we might use it, can be much more resonant and lasting.
This is particularly true for writers and other creative artists. Most writers find themselves squeezing their writing time into lives already jam-packed with responsibilities. As a result, writing and other creative work often suffer by seeming to be both a luxury (and therefore dispensable when time is tight), and a chore (and therefore dispensable when we feel overwhelmed or stressed).
Aubrey and the scientists quoted in her piece point out that, despite the results of these studies, people are often reluctant to pay for services they know they are capable of performing themselves, even when they know doing so could make them happier than using that money elsewhere.
Perhaps that’s part of what’s appealing about the idea of giving time as a gift, rather than buying it for ourselves. We’ve all had the experience of being “gifted” time when someone cancels plans on us at the last minute—there’s something so much juicier and more satisfying about found free time than when we set it aside in advance.
If you’re a creative artist or just someone who needs more hours to do the things you care about, consider giving yourself the gift of time.
Rather than seeing time spent writing as a luxury or a chore, you might consider it part of your regular health care regimen, right along with must-dos like brushing your teeth, eating meals, and anything else you do to keep your body, mind, and spirit in good order.
Another way to turn time into a gift: plan a time gift exchange with a friend by holding one another accountable for writing during a set period of time. Or arrange a task swap: offer to take care of a time-consuming task on your friend’s to-do list, then have them do the same for you, using the freed-up time to do creative work.
You could also make a commitment to yourself that the next time someone bails on plans with you or time falls into your lap some other way, you’ll use it for your creative work. After all, you aren’t given the gift of time every day of your life.
Or, depending on your outlook, perhaps you are.
What are some ways you like to give yourself the gift of time? Add your own tips and suggestions in the comments below.
