The Opportunity All Single Adults Have - That You’re Married Friends Don’t

It’s the end of the work day. You breathe a heavy sigh of relief as you open the front door and drop your stuff just inside. 

“I’m home.” you think as you walk straight to the couch and collapse. Today was hectic. Work was insane and you are more than thankful for the day to be over.

As you sit, you start mentally mapping out your evening. “Hmmm let’s see…I could go running, try a new dinner recipe, go on a walk, join my friends for happy hour, read, spend time praying, watch TV, work on my website, get some writing done, go to yoga, etc…” the list is endless.

You have options.

And time.

Time.

It’s not something to be taken for granted.

And it happens to be what makes single life so fantastic!

Yes you may have a busy lifestyle and a busy full time job or studying schedule - but one thing you have that others do not - is time to yourself. 

Not just time to get things done, but time to focus on you - and what you want or need to do.

This is not something to take lightly or take for granted. 

I would be bold enough to say that this is the ideal time to pursue some side passions, to build skills and really spend the time needed to make yourself into the best version of yourself. This is the time to allow yourself to explore and really experiment with new ideas.

Because this phase of life is one that is precious and valuable. 

Singleness as an adult, is in a way, a gift. You have more time to yourself now than you will ever have once you’re married, and or decide to have a family.

Recently I saw a post that said something along the lines of, “your success is determined by what you do with your time outside of work”. 

The author was pointing out how much free time we actually have each and every day - and that every day, we get to make the decision of how to use our time. 

Every day we have the opportunity to choose to develop, learn, create and progress with reading, learning a new skill, taking care of our bodies with exercise, making healthy food, etc… Or we can choose to waste away our time by mindlessly watching tv or scrolling through social media.

It’s up to us.

And honestly, since reading that post I have come to the realization of just how much time I actually have at the end of my work day. 

And now that I am aware of the time I do have, I am consciously making an effort to use it to the best of my ability.

Some days “my best” includes going on a run and meal planning for the week. Other days it includes an hour long nap after a hectic day followed by some beach volleyball with friends. And some other days it includes quality time with friends and community. 

It all depends. 

But one thing I do know is that now that I am aware of the time I do have, I am consciously making an effort to use it in a beneficial manner.

And that is all that matters.

So when I catch myself scrolling mindlessly through Facebook, I pause, and ask myself what it is I should be doing instead. Am I exhausted? Would a nap be better? Am I bored? Should I instead pick up my book or join friends at the beach? Am I anxious about something and using this as a distraction? Should I pick up my bible or go on a run to clear my head?

This awareness is all that is needed to start making better decisions with my time and I would recommend that you give it a shot yourself.

So humor me and answer this question:

What time do you typically get home and what time you generally go to sleep? How many hours are there in between.

How many hours do you have?

For me it is something like 6-7 hours. That is almost as long as an entire workday. That means I have a pretty large chunk of time everyday that I get to choose what to do with.

Are you using your extra hours for your benefit or no? 

By knowing the answer to that question alone you can be on the way to changing your life.

So if it turns out you are like me and are LUCKY enough to be living the single life, embrace it, because this phase of life - this time where you can focus on yourself and use the time you do have to make yourself better - is really a gift not to be taken for granted or wasted. 

What will YOU do with the extra hours you have? Do you have a goal you want to work towards? Is there some skill you want to cultivate? Let me know in the comments below.