7 Ways to Make the Most of Free Time During the Growing Season

The growing season is a busy one but once in a while some unexpected free time will bust its way into your itinerary. So what do you do? Like me, many of you likely struggle more with free time than with a full calendar of appointments or to do’s.

Here are some thoughts on some of the best ways to break a quiet day and turn it into a very productive, energizing use of your time — even when you least expect it — during the growing season.

1. Family time: The summer months are intense, and it is easy to always be busy even when you are not. Have the discipline to take some time and spend it with your family even when the crops are growing — you and your family deserve it.  Remember that boat and holiday trailer you bought last winter? Don’t be scared to use it.
2. Call a long lost friend: Reconnecting with friends is great for the heart and allows for you to find some of the past happiness in your life. Our lives can be so busy that we miss out on friendships that used to be so important in our past. The saying, “we are so busy” is not good enough when it comes to keeping in touch with friends.
3. Create some lofty goals for the farm business or yourself: Ever grab a scrap piece of paper and start jotting down some goals for yourself and your farm business? Some of the best laid plans are written on a napkin during some blue-sky, day-dreaming time.
4. Get your sweat on: Not that you don’t get lots of exercise during certain parts of the growing season but an excess of tractor time can be bad for the waist line. With some free time, hit the pool, pedal on the bike or take a family walk. Maybe even head up the gravel road and do some crop scouting while getting a sweat on.
5. Read: Now, we don’t mean the latest trade magazine, we are talking about a book or magazine that allows your brain to escape and recharge a little.
6. Re-prioritize your task list: Feel like you have free time, yet you know you have a lengthy list of tasks to complete? Take a few minutes and re-prioritize the list to create some clarity. You may have more free time than you actually thought or you may find out it’s better not to relax just yet.
7. Sleep: Have you been planted on a tractor seat for weeks on end? Maybe the best way to utilize your first moments of free time is to actually re-fuel with a nap. Get caught up on sleep and then use your free time on points 1 -6.

Related:

• Five ways to make your farm safety plan a success
• Your grandparents’ farming principles that still ring true today