Leisure Time
When you are doubled over on Sunday afternoon from a stomach ache brought on by the dread of going back to work Monday morning, the “problem” of what to do with excess leisure time is the least of your concerns. Ask me how I know.
In fact, most of us are trying to figure out how exactly to find time for leisure. If and when we have it, we’re ready to unfurl a list of activities the size of an ancient scroll of esoteric knowledge.
But, way back in the day, at the end of the 1800’s, too much leisure time was a problem to solve.
Prior to the industrial revolution, everything was made one at a time, by hand, requiring many hours of human labor. With new factory technology and growing political strength of the labor movement, philosophers and theologians saw the writing on the wall. People were about to be swamped with leisure time.
With every advance in technology, they posited, there would be less of a need for humans to toil away for hours on end. They could likely make a day’s wage in far less time. This meant that they would be left wondering how to fill the rest of the day.
Enter the idea of “Higher Purpose”.
Many writers of the day reasoned that, once the average laborer had access to free time, they could engage in activities that would not only uplift themselves but society as a whole.
Arts, culture, and reading would no longer be limited to the aristocracy. Political and spiritual engagement could ensue. Communities could have stronger involvement and volunteerism. In short, the vision of “Higher Purpose” was to uplift the nation through the improvement of the hearts and minds of those who, prior to free time, would be working 16-hour days.
Higher purpose was used as a platform to encourage the building of libraries, the creation of clubs, and the preservation of natural spaces. After all, people would need places to go, to meet, or to simply bask in the outdoors.
As I read about the finer points of Higher Purpose in Benjamin Hunnicut’s Free Time: The Forgotten American Dream, I couldn’t help but wonder if it had similarities to the modern financial independence movement. Many FIRE devotees, like the exhausted laborers of yesteryear, were fed up with their jobs and wanted a path to a different existence. Others enjoyed their fields, but also wanted more time, energy, and bandwidth to engage in life outside of work. People wanted to really live- to express themselves in ways which work limited.
People in the modern financial independence community value not just money, but the time freedom that money provides. Historically, it was assumed that people would barely need to work at all with each advancement of technology. But, given that the things like FIRE exist, this is clearly not what happened.
While I can think of a million reasons why that sweet train to higher purpose derailed (stagnating wages, consumer debt, corporate greed, etc), it feels like the latest improvements in technology simply mean we can squeeze more work into an 8-hour period. Or blur the boundaries between work and home.
But the thing is, leisure time isn’t just time spent not working. Leisure time isn’t about having just enough energy to sit on the couch eating takeout and watching a show after work. Leisure time isn’t just the pause between productive hours that gets you ready for more productive hours.
It’s time to engage in activities of self-actualization. It’s time to commune with friends and loved ones. It’s time to be in nature. It’s time to move your body. It’s time to organize politically. It’s time to discover spiritually.
It’s higher purpose.
Which, in my opinion is about living your actual life. Those philosophers were on to something.
Following principles of the FIRE movement is one way to “front-load” the means to live, but so is working in a labor environment that offers a thriving wage and plenty of vacation. In spite of the fact that I chose to early retire, I can’t help but wonder if I could have stayed working in a culture that truly values leisure and the higher purpose it allows.
Work for production- or worse, work for the sake of work (Protestant work ethic and all), has the power to strip the spirit from a person. It is my belief that when that creative spark is clouded with the busyness of constant work, humanity misses out. Why? Because the pause of leisure is a requirement for birth and flourishing of new thoughts and ideas.
And so, I think it is time to bring back the ideals of leisure time and higher purpose.
Beyond class and political divides, most of us probably want similar things. We want to hang out with our friends and family, be in the beauty of nature, and relax and recharge enough to feel like ourselves. Maybe some of us would like time to volunteer or read or learn a new skill unrelated to work. Whatever it is, we all need enough hours to do that.
But how?
I may be biased, but getting your money right is at the top of my list. Using financial independence principles can help achieve more leisure time.
Financial independence principles can, of course, help someone early retire…but it could also teach them how to negotiate for more leisure time. The tried and true methods can clarify the difference between wants and needs, show how to eliminate consumer debt, and demystify saving and investing. The combination can create monetary freedom…which may ultimately free up leisure time.
Another key to achieve more time for higher purpose, is to assess how you are using the free time that you already have. How are you spending it? On social media? In traffic? Is there anything that can be done to reclaim those hours from things that don’t really matter?
Basically, if free time is limited, how can we remove the barriers to more of it? If you spend an hour commuting each day, could you move closer to work or work from home or find a job closer to home? If you scroll on your phone, could you remove the apps, or put your phone graphics into grayscale?
Lastly, the greatest barrier to free time is the lack of thriving conditions (wages, time off, healthcare, childcare etc.) and, more importantly, the lack of political will to change that. While it is unlikely that we could have a labor movement like the one in the late 1800’s, how else can we impact policy? I’m not sure I know. It will be something I continue to ponder.
On that note, I wish you the best in enjoying what leisure time you have.
