This text came in the other day from a friend…
“How do you juggle being a good husband, dad, business owner, friend and still find time to think, journal and reflect?
You’re great at it and I think people would totally benefit from any tips you have!
Obviously everyone has time to think…but you seem to be able to capture yours and then use them to develop/grow.
Whereas I have a million thoughts that are just a constant crazy jumble in my head!”
Wow, that made me feel good!
Whilst initially I was flattered, I managed to reign my ego in.
I thought about all the things I procrastinate, all the things still waiting for me to do. I started to think about a response but couldn’t bring myself to type anything. I needed to buy some time.
So I responded “That’s a great question, Let me articulate a response and we can discuss it next time we catch up. I should point out there are many people I know and respect for being way more productive than me”
After thinking about it for a week I still didn’t feel I could give an adequate answer. All I could think about was how much I DIDN’T get done. I thought about the things that seemed to sit on my to do list forever, or the jobs at home that I learnt to ignore.
However I knew there was some good info on the subject, stuff that had helped me make improvements at various stages, or inspired me when I was stuck.
So this is my “6 Blog Posts About Time by People Way Smarter Than Me” list.
#1 – You get 100 time blocks a day – measure, plan and adjust your time blocks
#2 – Successful people have tricks, but we can learn them too
#3 – Journalling = get your mind on paper
#4 – Automate as many decisions as possible
#5 – Don’t let the internet rob the best of you
#6 – Make sure you appreciate the little things, its proven to make a difference
100 time blocks
https://waitbutwhy.com/2016/10/100-blocks-day.html
I love this visual example of having 100 time blocks, everyone has the same 100 time blocks, but it seems and feels like some use theirs better than others. After reading this the words Measure, plan, and adjust were running around in my head.
#1 – Measure how you are currently using your time (what gets measured gets managed)
#2 – Plan you how you want to spend your time going forward
#3 – Adjust, make small changes that make a big impact
Successful peoples have tricks, and we can learn them too
https://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/06/most-productive-people/
I was looking for some pearls from Tim Ferriss and found this interview. Tim has interviewed 100’s of successful people and is really good at getting specific gems of advice that you can put into action.
This excerpt sums it up well…
“Doing something well does not make it important. I think this is one of the most common problems with a lot of time-management or productivity advice; they focus on how to do things quickly. The vast majority of things that people do quickly should not be done at all.”
Tim’s Morning Pages
https://tim.blog/2015/01/15/morning-pages/
Staying on the Tim Ferriss theme; Whenever I encourage someone to start writing stuff down I refer them to this blog post. It’s easy to idolise someone like Tim Ferriss and think he superhuman, that what he does is next level unattainable.
I like how raw and honest this post is. What he is writing that morning could be on anyone’s mind, you can relate to the journal entry he wrote. There are days where I have written similar ramblings.
Again an excerpt from Tim
“Morning pages don’t need to solve your problems. They simply need to get them out of your head, where they’ll otherwise bounce around all day like a bullet ricocheting inside your skull.”
6 Formulas to help you make quicker decisions
Some people seem to be able to make quick decisions, while others seem to be overwhelmed and dwell on the minutiae. I have read this blog post many times over the years. It reminds me that mental capacity is a limited resource, yet we spend it like its unlimited.
Some examples of simple rules I applied as a direct result of this post include:
- For about a year I wore plain white t-shirts only, no thinking required just chuck one on,
- Set and Forget Finance. I put as much as possible of our bills, savings and investing on AP’s, both at work and home.
- Plan to eat the same breakfast and lunch most days that requires little to no thinking to prepare. Toast with peanut butter is my go to.
- Setting up a personal phone/email so I didn’t accidentally see a work email before I could action it and then sit up all night thinking about it.
- Turning off the notifications on nearly all apps on my phones, both work and personal.
Don’t let the internet rob the best of you
https://www.bakadesuyo.com/2019/02/make-your-life-fantastic/
About 3 years ago I deleted my facebook account. I unsubscribed from a tonne of junky emails, blocked news website so I couldn’t kill time on them and turned off all my notifications.
Then I started this blog and signed up for Instagram. I found myself checking my blog stats and I
This post got emailed to me last week and reminded me about the importance of controlling distractions, especially on the internet.
“We’ve read a thousand tips and tricks for reducing our screen time but they’re like fad diets and are generally only effective until the next time you feel a buzzing in your pocket.
Technology’s not evil, but we need to find a balance. We need more than tips, we need a philosophy. A system. Dare I say, an ethos. And Cal has one for us: “Digital Minimalism.”
No, Cal’s not going to tell you to smash your phone. Quite the opposite”
I read the whole article and decided I needed to schedule time in my calendar to blog and Instagram. I needed to control it and go back to doing more without my phone.
Stop and Appreciate the little things, it’s proven to make a difference
https://www.bakadesuyo.com/2015/05/happy-all-the-time/
I like to write lists of what I am thankful for, as well I have been using the “Five Minute Journal” on and off over the last 2 years. There is a section to write “I am grateful for…” and you write down 3 things. When you’re doing an activity like this it’s easy to get stuck in a “gratitude rut”.
You end up writing down similar generic things
Thank you for my wife, my life, my job, my kids, my house.
This post helped be more specific about my gratitude.
So thats it, my “6 Blog Posts About Time by People Way Smarter Than Me” list.
#1 –You get 100 time blocks a day – measure, plan and adjust your time blocks
#2 – Successful people have tricks, but we can learn them too
#3 – Journalling = get your mind on paper
#4 – Automate as many decisions as possible
#5 – Don’t let the internet rob the best of you
#6 – Make sure you appreciate the little things, its proven to make a difference
Bonus Picture
This text came in from another friend after talking with him about this blog post – so cool to hear the tips are helping someone already 🙂
Did you find this useful? If so, please take a second to comment on what post or advice by “someone way smarter than you” has made a difference to you. How have you (or will you) put it in action?