Seven Ways to Use the Extra Day This Leap Year

It is believed that life very rarely gives second chances to anyone in this world. It is also said that time does not wait for anyone; rather, everyone has to run along to catch up with it. So that is why everybody wants a little bit more time to do the things he or she wanted, go to places, see the beauties of nature, fulfill the unfulfilled wishes and desires, etc. Unfortunately, this does not come true for a majority of people in their lifetimes. So when the celestial bodies and time combine to give everyone a second chance, we should grab it and make the most of it.

By second chance, it is meant that this year is a Leap Year; that is, we have an extra day in the Calendar. Leap Year occurs every four years and is considered very lucky by some religions and traditions worldwide. Fortunately, this year February 2020 has 29 days instead of the normal 28 days. So we should thank time that it has given us an extra opportunity to make up for the lost opportunities in life. By this extra day in our lives, we can do a lot of things that have been on our wish list and could not have been completed because of the paucity of time. This is also a day where we can do a lot of self-introspection on how we should spend the coming year; and plan accordingly on what all we should be doing to enhance our lives, careers, relationships, health, etc.

Now some people might think that what can be achieved in one day, which has not been done throughout the entire lifespan? Well, there is a famous saying in the English Language, and it goes like this “It is never too late for anything“. So when we have the opportunity to do something more by gaining some more time, we should make the best use of it. Here is a list of things one can do on this extra day of the Leap year.

Try to Learn Something New: Life is always full of surprises. One never knows what new surprise springs up every moment. So it is better to be somewhat prepared for each new surprise. There is no better way to be prepared to face the everyday challenges of life by constantly upgrading oneself. The best way, therefore, is to keep learning something new that will help one in a better understanding of life and the mysterious ways of the universe. Learning is also a method to empower your skills. There are so many new things to learn and to explore in this world. For example, one can learn how to swim, surf, ride a bike, read, drive an automobile, etc. One can also start to learn new languages, craftsmanship, cooking, etc. Or one can also use this day as an opportunity to learn about the nation’s historical and cultural heritage also. As one keeps learning and acquiring new knowledge, one will fondly remember the day when he made an initiative in this direction and has been focusing on his endeavor. So you can make use of this extra day by making an initiative to upskill yourself.

Try out some Adventure: Sometimes Life becomes too monotonous, and we desperately need a break from it. So when you are getting an extra day in life, why not do something which you have longed to do your whole life. If you are the extreme sports aficionado and like some adventure, then you should spend the day indulging yourself in these activities. Extreme sports like Bungee jumping, deep-sea diving, sky-diving, surfing, dirt bike racing, etc. can be both adventurous and exhilarating. Other ways of making us of this day are by exploring new places or going on trekking expeditions, hiking in the jungle, taking a hot air balloon ride or a helicopter ride, etc. This way, you can gain a new perspective, and also it can prove to be a step towards finding yourself once again and the things you want from life. This can also be an experience to find out that far can one can go beyond one’s comfort zone. This is not only one of the best ways to spend the extra day, but also, it is a day when one can discover one’s strengths and weaknesses. This activity will only prove beneficial if one does not take it as a must-do activity, but rather as an exercise.

Spend Some Quality Time with Family: Often, it happens that we miss out on spending some time with the people we hold dearest in our lives, for example, our family, parents, friends, and relatives due to our hectic life schedule. As a result, it is often seen that a kind of distance starts seeping in relationships and relations start getting sour due to this reason. To avoid that, we can avail of this extra day and time by spending some quality time with our family. We can do this by taking them out on picnics, dinner, lunches, movies, and just by being with them the whole day. This way, we can try to make up for the lost time and opportunities when we were most required by our families. This is also one of the best methods to try to mend the family ties and bonds that were beginning to weaken due to lack of attention. Therefore it is one of the best ideas to use this extra day as an opportunity to strengthen the family and to keep it united forever. Most important of all, it is a day where you can show to your family how much you love them and care for them.

Spend a Day with Your Partner: It has also been seen that due to constant pressures of professional and personal life; it becomes difficult to pay attention to the needs and wishes of your partner. This results in tensions and conflicts arising in the family and all around grief and unhappiness in the family. According to psychiatrists, most of these situations arise when the other partner starts suffering from depression and showing symptoms of feeling neglected. So, to ensure that this kind of situation does not arise, one has to be extra careful and perseverant. You can take your partner out on a date, that is either dinner date or lunch date, take her or him out for a movie, or spend the whole day with him or her. This way, you are serving two purposes. One is you are making use of the day very wisely, and the second one is you are showing our partner that how much he or she means to you and how much you care for that person. This will help your partner in renewing the confidence, which that person might have lost earlier in you. Another significance of spending some time with your partner is that you can portray your true feelings towards that person, which goes beyond Valentine’s Day emotions.

Invest Time on Yourself: Many a time, it has happened that we have forgotten to take time out for ourselves. In our mad dash for better prospects of career and way of life, we have always neglected ourselves in the process. So when the actual time has come to sit back and introspect on our achievements, we have had nothing much to show or take pride in ourselves. That is why when we are getting an opportunity by getting some extra time; we should make full use of it. We can do this by spending some quality time with ourselves through self-introspection. We can also take this time to rejuvenate ourselves by joining some yoga classes or spiritual counseling sessions. Or we can spend it by doing a very significant activity, which is helping out in some social cause. Doing this, we are not helping somebody, but also helping ourselves by making others happy. This way, we will not only be doing something; but also feel that we have spent the day and time meaningfully. Other ways include catching up on some long lost reading or going out to watch a movie by yourself etc. In the end, it is all about how you spend this extra day.

Do Something Creative on this Day: Life is all about doing something new and creative. Every moment that you have lost; or about to lose, you can make up on this extra day. Many people who are involved in creative activities like Literature, Music, and Dance, Arts, etc. try to make the most of all the extra time available to them. So can you also do by bringing out the creative side in you, which was hidden all these years. Most famous people engaged in the field of creative activities believe that creativity is the best method to enhance productivity. So try to make this day productive by doing something creative.

Take this Day to Plan and Set Goals: It is common knowledge that without planning, life cannot move forward smoothly. So you must plan your every move in life and move ahead accordingly. Similarly, it is also significant to set goals for your life. As without setting goals, you would not be able to gauge as to how much you have progressed in life. So, therefore, it is very important to plan your life and set goals when you are getting the opportunity to think by getting an extra day. This way, you can plan better for the year ahead and also for your future.

So, as discussed above, when we can get some extra time by way of this extra day, we should make the full use of it. Rather than whiling away our time on some useless activity, we can spend it on the afore-mentioned activities. This way, not only we will bring happiness and inner solace to ourselves, but also brighten up the lives of other people who are near and dear to us.