Perspective on Time

“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” — William Penn

Sometimes it feels like I never have enough time to get everything done on my ever growing to do list.  I believe one of the reasons we feel like we do not have enough time is we get caught up on what others are doing instead of focusing on what we can actually be doing.  Often, we feel rushed, busy, and unaccomplished because of comparison.  Comparison is the worst game because nobody wins.  I feel better and much more productive when I focus on what I can accomplish versus comparing myself to what others are doing.  The lesson to having more time: focus on your goals and dreams!

Additionally, I really like the idea of a “Stop-Doing List,” coined by Jocelyn K. Glei, which has changed my perspective in relation to time.  Glei states, “In this Age of Distraction, we’re all dodging and weaving between so much incoming information that what you don’t do on a daily basis has become as important—if not more—as what you do execute on.”

Below are two lists that Glei follows, which also might help you create more time and space in your daily schedule.

Here’s a list of the things I don’t do while working:

I don’t schedule meetings in the morning.

I don’t listen to music or radio that has words.

I don’t look at my email until I’ve done 90 mins of deep-attention work. 

I don’t treat emails from people I don’t know as urgent.

I don’t look at social media until the afternoon, and then only on breaks.

I don’t tweet live. (I schedule almost everything in advance.)

I don’t over program my daily schedule so that there is no downtime.

I don’t work more than three hours without a break.

I don’t answer my phone or texts in the morning.

I don’t read the news.

I don’t eat at my desk.

I don’t work past 6:00 p.m.

And here’s a list of things I make sure to do:

I do make my to-do list for tomorrow the night before.

I do focus on deep-attention before hyper-attention work. 

I do regularly identify and update my goals for the next 6 months, and the actions I need to take to meet them.

I do always have a variety of projects on my slate so I can shift tasks based on my mood and energy level, while still getting important stuff done.

I do meet (or catch up with) one interesting person a week.