How to Have More Time

TL;DR: You have to let some of the little things slide so you can focus on the important stuff. When you do, you can literally expand and extend time. The Tool of the Week makes this easier.

Quick! What’s the most valuable and important thing you could do today?

I can’t tell you the right answer. It depends on what’s valuable and important to you.

But I can guarantee these are all wrong answers:

• Cleaning the toilet

• Sorting laundry

• Filling out tax documents

• TikTok

• Checking your email

Chores like the ones above will become emergencies if you ignore them for too long. And they can even be fun.

But they’re not valuable or important.

They’re weeds in the garden of your life, choking out all the good things you want to cultivate.

If you’re a hero on a journey, if you’re aiming to make at least one aspect of your life ten times better in the next 12 months, then you have to make time for the valuable and important stuff.

Weeding the Garden

The way you control the weeds is counterintuitive. You don’t try to stay on top of them. That’s how your valuable time gets eaten by low-value activity.

Instead, you have to ignore the weeds for a while. Let something slide so you can devote time and attention your masterpiece, your personal growth, your family, your health, etc.

And while you’re spending time on what’s most valuable and important to you, don’t think about the weeds.

You’re going to reclaim some of your time and expand it.

Taking Your Time

You’ve heard people say, “Take your time.” What does that mean?

It means doing something more slowly and being more present for it.

Taking your time is really taking back your time from the many distractions constantly flying at you.

Taking your time is a decision to say, “Okay, right now I'm doing something important. I'm going to relax and take my time and not think about anything else.”

This simple decision immediately improves the quality of your time. It lowers your heart rate.

You’re able to think more clearly and get more done.

By taking your time, your stress goes away (at least temporarily) and you have a chance to get into a Flow state, where learning and productivity skyrocket.

Even if you only have ten minutes, take your time. Focus 100% on what you’re doing. You’ll get more satisfaction and happiness out of those ten minutes, and you’ll feel like you were given a full hour.

Once you practice taking your time, it becomes easier. Soon you’ll be able to take your time when you're doing something hard or something that you don't want to do.

This will make the job more fun, because you’re truly present for it. You’ll also get it done more quickly and efficiently.

Tool of the Week: Taking Your Time

1. Set your intention. Say out loud, “I’m taking my time.”

2. Relax and take a slow, deep breath while you count to four.

3. Hold your breath as you count to four again

4. Exhale slowly to the count of four

5. Hold your breath for four counts.

6. Beathe in to the count of four, and repeat the whole breathing pattern for a minute or two. You’ll feel the difference when your mind and body relax. (By the way, this is called “Box Breathing” and it’s useful in many situations)

7. Focus your attention on your scalp, and imagine it completely relaxing.

8. Then do the same with your forehead, your jaw, your neck, and work your way down through your whole body. If you notice any area that’s especially tense, imagine your breath flowing through it as you breathe in and out.

9. Now that your mind and body are relaxed, look around and find a detail you never noticed before. Maybe the color of a tile, the pattern or texture of the surface of your desk, the material on your chair, etc.

10. Touch something near you and notice the texture and feeling. You could feel the warmth of your coffee mug or the width of the pen or brush in your hand.

11. You are now relaxed and in the present. Take a few seconds to picture your self doing the task you intend to do. Imagine yourself enjoying it, while being very good at it and getting a lot done.

12. Once again, say, “I’m taking my time,” and commit to this. Then get to work on your valuable and important activity.