The Womens Conference

Make Time for Change: A Guide for Busy 20-Somethings

• Architects of Change

11/10/09 | Corynne Steindler | 6 Comments

Corynne Steindler, Journalist

We're all looking for that mysterious, elusive thing – more time. And it turns out, we just may have it – if we're savvy about how we schedule it.

Time is especially precious for women (like me) in their twenties. We're the first into the office in the morning, and the last to leave at night.  Not a career woman? You may be swamped with grad school classes, or you may be the friend constantly saddled with planning engagement parties and bridal showers. But where to find time, and how can we use it to start giving back to our communities? Time -- or the lack thereof -- is keeping many women from becoming Architects of Change. 
 
To find the answer, I decided to pull together a list of "personal time" activities I regularly take part in.  Surprisingly, I discovered that there are at least 10 hours in my week devoted to mindless activities, which could be used for bettering my community. I don't suggest completely giving up your downtime, but by eliminating the time (and money) spent on unnecessary activities, you can create a little wiggle room in your schedule to create time for change.

Here's how you might start incorporating time for change into your schedule:

How to get started:

• Make a list of your weekly activities.  If anything on the list is negative or energy-draining, cut it and replace it with a service-focused activity.
• Find a buddy.  It is so much more fun to paint, walk, or clean when you have a friend.
• Multitask.  If you work out every Saturday, devote one Saturday a month to a fitness-focused service project.
• When it's your turn to host girls’ night, ask everyone to bring books to donate to a struggling school district.
• Find something you love.  Whether you are passionate about animals or you are a health freak, there are volunteer opportunities for everyone.  CaliforniaVolunteers.org's matching program pairs organizations in need with volunteers who are passionate about the cause.
• Expand your dating pool. Would you rather meet someone drinking at a bar, or someone who is helping clean up his/her community? Or, if you have a boyfriend/girlfriend, plan your next date night at a homeless shelter or food bank.

Time is not as elusive as we make it out to be – it’s just a matter of looking for it in the right places. 
 
Corynne Steindler is a senior reporter at HollywoodLife.com.  Previously, she worked as a reporter for the Page Six column of the New York Post, and was the editor of media and celebrity gossip blog Jossip.com.  Corynne is a native of the Chicago suburbs, and she moved to New York in 2001 to study Journalism and Gender Studies, and spent time traveling to Spain and Russia during her college years. When not covering the party circuit, Corynne can be found glued to reality TV programs on E! and Bravo, or preferably, spinning at SoulCycle. She lives in Manhattan.