My father is having an auction in a couple weeks.  My siblings and I have been helping him sift through a lifetime to determine what he wants to save and what he wants to sell.      (Check out the auction items here.)

We were finally confronted with the necessity of purging my mother’s sewing room.  Mom passed away a number of years ago and we hadn’t the heart to go through her craft room before now.  It was an eye-opening experience.  We discovered unfinished projects: quilts, knitted sweaters, cross-stitched pictures and embroidered pillow cases.  My mother was an industrious woman.  She was happiest when creating a gift for someone she loved.

What do you do in the spare time you have available?

Today entertainment often means occupying yourself on your phone, sharing pictures on Facebook or playing video games. But do those pastimes produce lasting benefits for you and those you want to have an impact on?

Step away from the pack.  Choose to spend your time on things that are more industrious and productive.  Consider pastimes that:

• Teach something
• Create something
• Repair something
• Improve something

Hobbies can develop valuable skills that keep your brain sharp and your conversation interesting.  Some of my friends go on a mission trip every two

years.  The good they do and the memories they make last a lifetime.  Many have now begun to share that experience with children and/or grandchildren.  The skills shared during those times are the legacies passed on to future generations.

And those kinds of pastimes will continue to keep you interested and interesting as you approach retirement.  How much time will you spend being industrious this week?

Click here and see how three young men learn the value of being industrious.