How to Make Waiting More Fun

Life is full of times when we are in-between–in relationships, jobs, or parenting stages–we will have to wait.  There are four key factors that can help you wait well.

This post was originally published on January 27, 2013.

Enjoy the Wait

I have had to give myself permission to enjoy the wait.

When waiting in line in traffic, at a store, or for an appointment, I very rarely just sit. It’s in my nature to be “productive.” So, I catch up on email, listen to music or a podcast, or read. It seems to make the time go by faster, because I am not just watching the clock. Now these waits are only a few seconds or a few minutes.

What if I apply that to work during (much) longer waits? What would I do if I had to wait an hour? Probably the same things. What would I do if I had to wait many hours? I would probably read a book, in its entirety. What would I do if I had to wait days? I’ve done that. It’s called bedrest…for almost 5 months. I tweeted for about 2 months, while watching many movies and enjoying one-on-one time during the summer break with my only child, until his sister arrived. But, I was happily willing to wait because there was a wonderful reward was at the end: my precious, healthy baby girl.

Use the Time Wisely

To say the least, I took advantage of things I wouldn’t be able to do once I was off bedrest (back to my “normal”). In my current season of waiting, I think I’m scared to enjoy it because I don’t want my current state of affairs to become my permanent state of affairs. But, I have taken Joyce Meyer’s advice on “Enjoying Where You Are On the Way to Where You Are Going.”

Of course, it’s always easier to wait when you’ve done the same wait before…when you know approximately how long the wait will be.  It’s the uncertainty of the length that begins to make it feel unbearable.  How can we learn to wait better without knowing how long we will be waiting for?

Question Your Old “Normal”

I worked full-time in an administrative role where I learned many new skills that could be used in a different role. I discovered that I really enjoyed it. In fact, I could spend countless hours doing this…if it were not for having to care for my family and earn some sort of living. What if I could wave a magic wand and get paid for doing work that I really enjoy?  Was my old normal taken away from me so that I could find my new dream normal? [Tweet that] I’ve been exploring some ways to make that happen along with pursuing another version of my “old normal.”

Strengthen Your Faith

It’s easy to say you have faith when everything is going your way. But, you can’t have a testimony without a test. While I’m waiting, I’m strengthening myself by choosing to believe that everything will work out for good, believing that there is a purpose to what I am going through, and determining not to give up.

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. -Hebrews 11:1

What do you do to pass the time while waiting?

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