Let's read...

We don't build the lives we want by saving time. We build the lives we want, and then time saves itself. Here's what I mean. I recently did a time diary project looking at a thousand and one days in the lives of extremely busy women. They had demanding jobs, sometimes their own businesses, kids to care for, maybe parents to care for, community commitments -- busy, busy people. I had them keep track of their time for a week so I could add up how much they worked and slept, and I interviewed them about their strategies, for my book. One of the women whose time log I studied, she goes out on a Wednesday night for something. She comes home to find that her water heater has broken, and there is now water all over her basement. If you've ever had anything like this happen to you, you know it is a hugely damaging, frightening, sopping mess. So she's dealing with the immediate aftermath that night, next day she's got plumbers coming in, day after that, professional cleaning crew dealing with the ruined carpet. All this is being recorded on her timelog, winds up taking seven hours of her week. Seven hours. That's like finding an extra hour in the day.

Let's follow Laura...

We don't build the lives we want / by saving time. // We build the lives we want, / and then time saves itself. // Here's what I mean. // I recently did a time diary project / looking at / a thousand and one days in the lives of extremely / busy women. // They had demanding jobs, / sometimes their own businesses, / kids to care for, / maybe parents to care for, / community commitments --/ busy, / busy / people. // I had them keep track of their time for a week / so I could add up / how much they worked and slept, / and I interviewed them about their strategies, / for my book. // One of the women whose time log I studied, / she goes out on a Wednesday night for something. // She comes home to find that her water heater has broken, / and there is now water all over her basement. // If you've ever had anything like this happen to you, / you know it is a hugely damaging, / frightening, / sopping mess. // So / she's dealing with the immediate aftermath that night, / next day she's got plumbers coming in, / day after that, / professional cleaning crew dealing with the ruined carpet. // All this is being recorded on her timelog. // Winds up / taking seven hours of her week. // Seven hours. // That's like / finding an extra hour in the day. //

Let's read...

But I'm sure if you had asked her at the start of the week, "Could you find seven hours to train for a triathlon?" "Could you find seven hours to mentor seven worthy people?" I'm sure she would've said what most of us would've said, which is, "No -- can't you see how busy I am?" Yet when she had to find seven hours because there is water all over her basement, she found seven hours. And what this shows us is that time is highly elastic. We cannot make more time, but time will stretch to accommodate what we choose to put into it. And so the key to time management is treating our priorities as the equivalent of that broken water heater. And to get at this, I like to use some language from one of the busiest people I ever interviewed. By busy, I mean she was running a small business with 12 people on the payroll, she had six children in her spare time. I was getting in touch with her to set up an interview on how she "had it all" -- that phrase. I remember it was a Thursday morning, and she was not available to speak with me. Of course, right? But the reason she was unavailable to speak with me is that she was out for a hike, because it was a beautiful spring morning, and she wanted to go for a hike. So of course this makes me even more intrigued, and when I finally do catch up with her, she explains it like this. She says, "Listen Laura, everything I do, every minute I spend, is my choice." And rather than say, "I don't have time to do x, y or z," she'd say, "I don't do x, y or z because it's not a priority." "I don't have time," often means "It's not a priority."

Let's follow Lura...

But I'm sure if you had asked her at the start of the week, / "Could you find seven hours / to train for a triathlon?" // "Could you find seven hours / to mentor seven worthy people?" // I'm sure she would've said what most of us would've said, / which is, / "No -- / can't you see how busy I am?" // Yet when she had to find seven hours because there is water all over her basement, / she found seven hours. // And what this shows us is that time / is highly elastic. // We cannot make more time, / but time will stretch to accommodate / what we choose to put into it. // And so the key / to time management / is treating our priorities / as the equivalent / of that broken / water heater. // To get at this, / I like to use language from one of the busiest people I ever interviewed. // By busy, / I mean she was running a small business with 12 people on the payroll, / she had six children in her spare time. // I was getting in touch with her to set up an interview on how she "had it all" -- / that phrase. // I remember it was a Thursday morning, / and she was not available to speak with me. // Of course, / right? // But the reason she was unavailable to speak with me is that she was out for a hike, / because it was a beautiful spring morning, / and she wanted to go for a hike. // So of course this makes me even more intrigued, / and when I finally do catch up with her, / she explains it like this. // She says, / "Listen Laura, / everything I do, / every minute I spend, / is my choice." // And rather than say, / "I don't have time to do x, y or z," / she'd say, / "I don't do x, y or z because it's not a priority." // "I don't have time," / often means / "It's not a priority." //