8.5 Leisure / Free Time Analysis
Do this task individually, then compare your results with your partner when you have completed the analysis.
Step 1: List in the first column Activity, of the chart below, twenty activities that you find: enjoyable, meaningful, and in some ways contributing to may your life worth living. If you can think of more than twenty, continue the list until your brainstorming is exhausted. How hard or easy was it for you to do this first task?
Step 2: Now under Date Column indicate the date you last did each of the activities. Review the results of the completed Date Column. How can you reconcile your use of time in carrying out activities that are most meaningful to you?
Step 3: Now under the Expense Column indicate the cost to you of each activity listed: free, under $5, $15-25, $25-50, $50-100 and over $100. Review the results of the completed Expense Column. How expensive is enjoyment for you? Do you unwittingly price yourself out of pleasurable activities?
Step 4: Now under Other People Column indicate for each activity listed whether the activity is done alone, with another person, with family, with a group, etc. Once you completed the Oher People Column, review your responses. How important are people in your meaningful activities? What role do your spouse, family and friends play in these activities? Do you have activities you do rarely because they are expensive and which you only do with certain people> How many of these activities are of interest to you and your spouse?
Step 5: Now under the Physical-Sedentary Column indicate if each activity listed provides similar or different physical opportunities from activity on your job. First determine if your job is physical or sedentary and then mark the activity same or different. Review the results of the Physical-Sedentary Column. Do you limit yourself to job-related activities only? Do you have physical outlets which require your use of physical or mental exertion different than what you have on the job?
Step 6: Now under the Job Column indicate if each activity or element of the activity listed can be transferred to the work site. If it can, mark yes, if it cannot, mark no. Review the results of the Job Column. Do the job or people from work have any influence on the choice of activity? Does your job contribute or not contribute to your life satisfaction away from work? Are your hobbies, interests and enjoyable activities able to be brought to your work site?
Step 7: Now under the Time Column indicate if each activity is usually done on vacation (large blocks of time), weekends, or can be done daily (consistently). Use VAC, WEEK, DAILY, for each activity in the Time Column. Review the results of the Time Column. Does most enjoyment get postponed for large doses of time? Do your large blocks of time activities cost a lot, need a great deal of planning with others and thus are infrequently experienced?
Step 8: Now under the Year Column, indicate how many more years you can envision yourself enjoying each of the activities listed. Is each activity temporary (TEMP) or lifelong (LIFE)? Now review the results of the Years Column. If the activity is temporary what keeps you from participating in it more now while you can still enjoy it? What makes an activity lifelong versus temporary for you?
Step 9: The topics on the chart were chosen for their value in encouraging you and your spouse’s analysis and understanding. You both are ready to prepare a plan to utilize your joint leisure time more effectively. You both are ready to relook at your environment at home and make plans to change it. Record your plans and commit yourself to them.
Our Life Enrichment Plan of Action
We intend to do the following steps to utilize our leisure time more effectively:
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We plan on doing the following steps to change the environment in which we live:
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Suggested Discussion Questions
1. Why is it so difficult to make time for the things we enjoy doing together?
2. How many things for which we share a common interest have w not done for a long time?
3. How important is money in determining what we do together?
4. Why are these hang-ups on letting each other pursue individual interests or activities?
5. What things brought us together in the first place, and why don’t we do them now?
6. How does our different need for physical and sedentary leisure-time activities affect our relationship?
7. How much do we support one another in our hobbies?
8. What part does jealousy play in not allowing each other to pursue our individual interests?
9. Why do we only do job related activities?
10. What does this exercise tell us about ourselves and our marital satisfaction?
In your Journal Record Your Personal Notes on this Exercise
