Lately, the only time I sit through an entire movie is on an airplane. At home, other things seem too important to indulge in the luxury of marking out an afternoon or evening to watch a favorite flick. When I have free time, I figure that de-cluttering the pantry (which probably still has sweetened condensed milk from the nineties) or doing laundry (aka “The never ending abyss”) trump my leisure pursuits.

My hope is that if I stay on top of all these things, life will be easier, more carefree, and happier in general. The only problem? Once I get finished there’s always a new task nipping at my heels. And I haven’t even mentioned the albatross that I call my garage. So instead of getting an energy boost from my hard work, I feel drained just thinking about the endless list of to do’s.

After taking a recent airplane trip where I was able to watch an entire movie, I realized that maybe I have it all backwards. Sometimes what seems like a waste of time is the perfect energy infusion. After watching one of my favorites, Somethings Gotta Give, I realized what movies help me do — enlarge my vision of myself. Sometimes we get stuck in our own world believing that we have to get it all done before we can have fun. Movies help us engage our imaginations and to see life from a new perspective.

After watching my movie, I was motivated to finish some tasks and my creative juices were flowing. I had the energy to give to some domestic tasks as well as some creative tasks.

I think we all can agree, there will always be one more thing to do. So consider wasting some time this week and watch a movie, you just might get a new perspective and some instant energy.

Extra-Ordinary Ideas:

Read It: Looking for a great movie? Mother Daughter Movies: 101 Films to See Together helps you find the perfect film.

Do It: Waste some time this week.

Think It: “The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” Bertrand Russell