Most leaders tell me they have no time for the things that matter outside work — staying connected with family, reading, learning something new, planning the trip they keep postponing.
But on my way to the airport last week, I started counting the gaps.
Waiting for the car. The drive itself. The queue at check-in. The gate. By the time I boarded, I’d identified nearly two hours that had simply existed — unplanned, unstructured, available.
That’s not unusual. On average, most of us have about 1–2 hours of idle time every day: commuting, waiting between meetings, standing in lines, in transit between one place and the next.
Not all of it should be filled. Some of it genuinely needs to be empty — mental switching off, staring out the window, letting the mind decompress. That’s not wasted time. It’s recovery, and recovery is part of performing well and staying effective.
But some of this time, when used with intention, is exactly where the things you keep saying you have no time for actually fit.
Here are some things I’ve done during this time over the years. Not all of them, not every day. But having the list means the choice is deliberate rather than filling it with whatever the phone offers next.
1. Read
Business or leisure — it depends on what you need that day. Only 15 minutes a day makes 75 minutes per week, which is roughly a book per month. Reading gives you a remarkable advantage, as most of your peers aren’t doing it consistently. That gap compounds over time.
One practical note: don’t read while driving. Use audiobooks instead — same input, no risk.
2. Review your goals and priorities
Days fill fast and the most important things drift out of focus without you noticing. A few minutes revisiting what you’re actually working toward — and why — resets the focus. If you have not yet written your personal goals down, I encourage you to start and then plan steps to achieve them.
3. Plan something you’ve been postponing
The family vacation. The hobby project. The trip you’ve been saying you’ll organize “when things calm down.” Use idle time to actually think it through — specific dates, what you want to do, what needs to happen first. Once it’s planned, it becomes real. Until then it stays a wish.
4. Reach out to someone who matters
A useful article forwarded to a client or colleague. A message to someone you’ve been meaning to reconnect with. A phone call to a friend you haven’t spoken to properly in months. Relationships don’t maintain themselves. Small, consistent gestures do more than occasional grand ones.
5. Call your parents or your kids
If your parents are alive, call them. Not because something happened. Just to call. They won’t be there forever, and you know this — but the day still goes by without the call. Sometimes it is enough for them just to hear your voice. The same applies as your kids get older. A quick “how are you doing” and “I love you” costs two minutes and means more than you think.
6. Plan real time with your family this weekend
Not just being in the same house. Actual time — something specific, something they’d enjoy, something you’d be fully present for. Your family are the most valuable people in your life, aren’t they? Then your calendar should reflect that. If it’s not in the calendar before the week starts, something else will fill that for you. Always.
7. Capture your ideas before they’re lost
A draft of something you’ve wanted to write. An idea that’s been sitting half-formed. Notes from a conversation that deserved more reflection. Idle time is surprisingly good for this — no pressure, no agenda, just thinking that has somewhere to go.
8. Follow something that genuinely interests you
Not professional development. Something you’re interested in — a subject, a craft, a field that has nothing to do with work. Reading about it during idle time doesn’t take time away from important things. It gives something back.
9. Learn a language incrementally
Sometimes knowing a foreign language gives you’re a tremendous competitive edge. It also expands your worldview. It helps you to develop yourself by learning new things about another culture, another people, even if there is not a specific goal for it. Learning a language can also be fun. A few new words a day will make a huge difference in 6 months.
You might also enjoy:
Why time blocking doesn’t work
What my little daughter taught me about life priorities
Get practical ideas every Thursday
Join hundreds of leaders who lead and live with greater clarity and focus on what matters.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.