How to Creatively Pass Time during Your Soldiers Deployment

Deployments are no fun period. All you want to do is speed the clock up but you can’t. What you can do however, is to try new and creative ways to pass time and make it go by a little easier.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Various items to be listed in article.

1. Get a job. It’s always the first listed as a time passing option because it is both the most profitable, as well as the most productive. Some will, some won’t. The following steps are more for those that do not find jobs but many of them can be used even if you are working.

2. Volunteer. In some ways this can be an even better option than a job. As well as giving you something to do, you get the good feeling of helping others and the super added bonus that volunteer work is the equivalent of a free education. Volunteer to do something you’ve never done before and acquire new and useful skills that you can later apply to entering new or better career fields.

3. Master a hobby. Pick something new, or something you’ve dabbled in before. Try something fun or practical and useful…or both. From sewing, to glass etching, and candle making find one or several new hobbies and focus on mastering them. Take classes on the subjects when available. It will give you better understanding and skill in your hobby as well as give you a chance to socialize outside of the typical Military gatherings.

4. Start a book marathon. Find a series or several series’ and read them one by one in order. Or collect and read every book by an author you like. Another book option, try an author that has a ton of books published, that you’ve never tried before. Getting through all of their works will allow you to enjoy something completely new in the literary world. I have a hundred favorite authors, but nothing beats that first moment when I realize mid book or mid series that this author is a NEW favorite. A good book marathon can take months to complete enjoy that time flying by.

5. Make fitness and or financial goals. With goals that you really want to meet by the time your soldier returns, it puts YOU on a clock too. Try to beat the deployment by reaching your goals before it gets down to the last month. AKA (The month you diet, save, and exercise in overtime because you realize you put it off too long and where did the time go?)

6. Fall in love with prime time T.V. Start watching new shows as they premier. When you find a handful you like watch them every week (or Tivo) religiously.

7. Get Addicted to T.V on DVD. If you want to watch a show that’s been cancelled, or just run its course surf the web (Ebay, Amazon, DeepDiscountDVD) to get great deals on Complete T.V. show sets that contain the entire series. Or if you spot a show that’s mid-season but looks good, skip watching this season and instead purchase the previous seasons so you can watch it from the beginning. When the one that’s currently on comes out on DVD buy it and catch up before the next one starts.

8. Stay busy, relaxed, and in a recreational and self improvement state of mind throughout your soldier’s deployment. They’ll be back soon and if you want, you can be a lot better for it.