I, too, love the idea of an ongoing project bucket and intend to start using that idea. Further, I don’t believe the main article is about fear of boredom at all, but is more about using time constructively. As far as I am concerned using time constructively is never a bad thing. I believe the ongoing project bucket is a good way to skip over the wasted time trying to decide what to do and get right into the doing, thus leaving more time for the actual project.

For example: I have an hour or so to spare. I want to do something with that hour… but if I spend 15 to 20 minutes thinking about what to do, that leaves me only 40 to 45 minutes to do my project, and lets out all the projects that take 45 minutes to a full hour. (I always leave 5 to 10 minutes to clean up afterwards.) On the other hand, if I have that ongoing project bucket handy, I can find my project topic in less than five minutes and spend the remainder of my free time working on that project.

Something I’ve long believed. There are times in my life when I get bored, and reflecting upon those times, I was boring. Sitting on the couch flipping through the channels, etc. If I’m not *being* boring, I don’t get bored.

But I don’t need a “to-do” list in case of emergencies. If I get bored, either I accept the boredom, or I find something interesting to do with my time.

Poor behavior is more about character. For those prone to negative behavior or poor choices, boredom can be a decisive catalyst. In that case, having a down-time to-do list as a crutch is a good thing! I was bored a lot as a kid, and find it a catalyst for looking at the world in new ways.

Boredom is underrated as an imagination-building tool for children. A kid gets bored- they create scenarios and pretend, unprompted. There are no dots to connect form here to there- the “there” is a meandering horizon. It does not mean they will get into trouble- no more than they would doing some other activity, if properly supervised. Adults have to supervise themselves, and I guess it can be intimidating. Having a ready-made list of activities and ideas to avoid letting thoughts, and life, just happen from time to time, can be great for people who need a ton of control-many do. I have such a list, but I do not rush to check it at every moment of ennui. I find it healthy to balance purposefulness and void. Void can spur artistic ephanies, or Zen-like interludes. Life is so much richer than lists and tasks.

Myself,on the other hand, find it very hard to get bored; there’s so much I’m interested in and just sitting on the porch watching the weather can keep me entertained. Sometimes when I’m sick, I get bored, but other than that, I’ve been bored maybe three times in my life. I can read, or garden, or walk, or listen to music, or go on-line, or meditate, or pet the cat, or talk to a friend, or…… So many things to do in life!

Whatever it is, some of my best writing has resulted from being bored, with nothing to do but sit around coming up with interesting stories to tell.

Basically, boredom is an emotion, just like any other. It can be healthy or unhealthy, depending upon how you handle it. However, I suspect that a lack of boredom in the world, with all people turned to “productive” tasks during all their waking hours, would result in a world sadly devoid of creativity.

In my family it is considered a good thing to sometimes experience boredom (particularly for children). I agree that some people might turn to expensive options, but even that can be a learning experience if someone’s serious about maturing. I don’t fear boredom – & after the week I’ve just had, would welcome the luxury!

I just posted about using “projects” to keep us motivated and basically help prevent boredom. Your idea of an ongoing “project bucket” is great!

I think I’m going to look into this more and see where it takes me, thanks for the great ideas!
Nick

How in the world does someone with three small children manage to take a nap or feel bored? My kids seldom left me alone long enough for sleep or boredom! Their little monsters don’t either.

During my free time, I find there is little reason to being bored. I once had a friend whose passion was bird watching. And as she told me about the things she had seen, I reflected that everywhere around me there are interesting things I could explore, yet are overlooked.

When I am bored, if I try to fill my time with purposeful activity, that activity is usually unsatisfying, because I’m doing it to run away from feeling bored. If I let myself sit still and feel the boredom, often there’s an emotion underneath it that needs attending. Then, if I attend to that feeling, the boredom tends to dissipate, my energy comes back, and my mind is able to be creative again. So, in my experience, boredom is my friend who lets me know something is off.