I love to read. I don’t have time for it very often.
So, when I found a book about finding time for yourself, I figured it was the perfect book for me!
The Fringe Hours is written by Jessica Turner: a mom who seems to be able to “do it all.” She has a full-time job, runs a very successful website and blog, just launched a course for busy moms, and makes time for herself and the activities she loves. There’s probably more that she does, but that list is impressive enough if you ask me.
Jessica’s book helps you identify what’s important to you, what passions you have, what’s holding you back, and what you might like to do with extra time if you had it. She then helps you determine where there are pockets of time in your day, or fringe hours: extra minutes and moments where you can carve out time for yourself.
I love the idea that the book is founded on: That we need to practice self-care and put aside the excuses that there is not enough time. We do have the time: we need to identify it and work to create more of it.
Though I regularly wish I had more time, the reality is, I’m not always efficient with it and I’m missing out on opportunities to add in activities I enjoy, or to be more productive in my work-time which would allow me to have additional time to relax at other points in the day. Jessica has a great tool, the time tracker, which helps you see how you’re actually using your time.
I’ll be honest- I didn’t fill it out. But I like the idea of it, and if you’re not really sure where your time is going or where you can create pockets, spend some time tracking what happens during your day.
Jessica’s book challenges you to look at where you waste time, but also encourages you to examine where you can naturally add in a little something extra for yourself. I love how she created a habit of reading magazines while she dries her hair. This wouldn’t personally work for me because I rarely take the time to dry my hair, but her examples and stories from the women she interviewed and surveyed help you think outside of the box for how you can create time for yourself.
Throughout the book there are actionable tips and ideas for how to better manage your time, identify your fringe minutes and hours, and then know what to do during those pockets of time. Thanks to The Fringe Hours, I realized that I should bring my Kindle with me to my most recent doctor’s appointment. I always have my phone so I can do work, but as you probably know, getting out your phone doesn’t always stay productive.
Because I planned ahead and brought the Kindle with me, I was able to purposefully use the fifteen minutes that I ended up waiting. And, I didn’t mind waiting- I actually would have been perfectly happy if it took longer! If I’d simply been on my phone (even if I was working), I likely would have been annoyed that the doctor was taking so long.
One note I feel compelled to include is that Jessica is Christian and so the book does include discussion of prayer, reading of scripture, and attending church. While these are not activities I personally include in my daily life, I do appreciate how they are presented in the book. None of these topics are presented in a preachy way, nor is there any negativity suggested if these activities are not included. For an author who is strong in her faith, I appreciate that she has written a book that resonates for me — someone who is very different than her when it comes to the role that religion plays in my life.
This book is a quick and easy read, and a great addition to your Kindle if you have one.