Timewasting

Yes, this is a scene from Disney's Aladdin.

There are many wonderful and varied ways to waste time. If you're looking to spend a few hours faffing about instead of doing what you planned to achieve when you woke up this morning, then look no further! In this post you will find ten suggestions to help you.

1. Read a book. Not a nice new book, which can't really be considered timewasting at all, but one you've read several times before – the trashier the better.

2. Browse the Web. Acceptable activities include, but aren't limited to, Googling your own name; getting into a long and fruitless debate with someone on a forum; reading junk mail; following link after link until you've forgotten what it was you were looking for in the first place.

3. Daydream about how exciting it will be when you publish your first book, what the cover art will look like, how you'll keep in touch with your multitude of fans, and so on and so forth. This is particularly effective if you haven't actually finished writing said book.

4. Enter a room where someone else is watching television. Get sucked into a reality show you have no interest in or a documentary about carpet fitting.

5. Make yourself a snack. Eat the snack. Decide it wasn't enough and make yourself another one. Repeat as necessary.

6. Pick up your games console, telling yourself you'll just play as far as the next level.

7. Doze.

8. Try out all the pens on your desk to make sure they still work. (Your autograph is a good test here.)

9. Go and engage someone else in the house in pointless conversation. This is a particularly good option because it enables them to waste time as well.

10. Read my blog ;-)

I hope these ideas have been of some use to you. Please help others by adding your own favourite ways to waste time below.

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