Mandatory Chill Time

One of the things about being a Goal Junkie (yes, I just coined that term) is that I tend to follow the unwritten advice “you can relax once everything is done.”

And yet, ‘everything’ never gets done, does it? If you’re like me, there is always more to do. Trash to take out, clothes to mend, tax to file, and even when the daily chores get done – there is always something you could be doing towards your goals and dreams. Setting up a dog-walking business. Writing a romance novel. Learning tennis.

I remember, as a kid, asking my friends, “What do you mean, you’ve got nothing to do?”

Being constantly inspired and excited for life is a beautiful thing, but then when I do take some time to do something relaxing (even at the end of the day) I just end up feel guilty. And so goes the cycle of burn out followed by guilt-ridden breaks at inconvenient times (like, the night before an exam).

So, what is the solution?

Happiness and habits researcher, Gretchen Rubin, argues that you should schedule leisure time into you day. To some people, scheduling time to watch TV or read a book might sound silly, but for chronic dreamers, inventors and goal-getters, like me, I’ve found it’s an incredibly effective technique. I call it Mandatory Chill Time. Mandatory Chill Time is just as important as work, sleep, chores and anything else on the schedule.

Right after I finish this blog post, I’ve scheduled some guilt-free MCT.

Would you try Mandatory Chill Time?