Time is short everyday…right?
Only 24 hours to complete everything we have on our plates, plus get on with creative pursuits and projects, and be a part of the human life.
But, knowing that we only have access to 24 hours, maybe we take on too much? But it’s also possible that we don’t have too many things-to-do pebbles in our jar of life, but that we just overstuff it with sand grains of time-stealers like hanging out on our phones for distraction. With all that sand, it does look really full, and the 24 hour jar doesn’t seem to contain it all. So things spill out.
I think we can fit it all. Mostly. On most days.
We just have to be strategic of how we use the time jar.
Just maybe there is too much sand of distractions?
With all that needs to be done, and with limited space in our days, it makes sense to think things through. And that is why productivity has become such a big topic in our society’s zeitgeist today.
How else do we clear our plates each day…
Time Blocking Helps
Time blocking is one way that people are dealing with this. For the work day, planning out how you will take on all your tasks, and duties and commitments hour by hour. And then go for it. Without distractions. Without filling your time with sand.
That is usually how I tackle my tasks and days. I work about 4 hours a day. I think I would love more time, but I also know that if I have more time alloted to the same work, my productivity will slope down. It’s the pressure of time that keeps me going without filling my jar with sand grains of time-wasters. Or atleast not too much of it.
Because I only have so much time to hit everything on my list, I have no choice but to get them done. I would hate to have a spillage of tasks to the subsequent days all the time, and be behind. So it’s better to just do it. And move on to what’s next.
That way, most work days are able to contain all I need to do. But say instead of 4 hours, I gave myself 5 hours to do the same things, I know for sure I would fill that one hour with fluff in bits and pieces…checking email, reading reviews of random things on Amazon, watching funny videos on Facebook, doom scrolling, reading news that I have no actual need to know (or isn’t really news!) aka celebrity news…yup. We all have our set of distractions we are attracted to, and the choices are, sadly, endless.
I feel its better to feel a bit tight on time, and take the work on with gusto.
Of course, one could also build in time for distractions as a transition from one task to the next to get a mental break. I have been known to do that as well.
Between switching from writing to studio, taking 15 minutes to get a snack and check things out on Instagram could be a good break. Or going for a quick walk- a better break, but harder to be motivated for, maybe?
But once those 15 minutes of blocked break is done it’s back to business.
Meetings are a whole other ballgame to deal with. Something I don’t have to think about mostly as I work solo. But they too could be made more efficient with some forethought. Not a topic for me to discuss though.
Overall, I feel it’s better to feel the pinch of time in the work day that drives productivity higher for me instead if it felt easy and relaxed.
With some thought as to how I might spend this limited resource with prioritization and breakdown beforehand, most days feel well-accomplished. And life inches forward…
And of course, it helps to accept that inching forward is enough.