How do I Have Time to Do Everything? Get 7 days more in a year!
I'm finally going to answer one question that I know some people are very curious about: How do I have time to do everything I want.
I'm in high school and of course, I do have a lot of school work, tests, exams, homework, etc. And as I like to give my best, I work and study to make sure I get good grades.Of course this takes me a lot of time. I need to manage the time I spend on school, with the time I spend studying, writing blog posts, marketing my blog, learning new business strategies, reading books, doing chores, and other projects I get involved in now and then.
I'm not complaining though. I'm actually really grateful for everything I need to do! Most of those, are things that I actually enjoy doing. Because I was the one deciding the goals I wanted to achieve!You're probably in a similar situation. Maybe you don't go to school, but you go to work. Which works more or less the same way. So how are you supposed to complete your obligations while doing the things you love?
#1: Plan your day and have time to do everything you want!
You actually have been thinking of a new awesome business idea, but you don't have the time to put it into practice, right? Planning your day can allow you to start working on something new! I need to feel that my day is well organised, to make sure I have time to do everything I must do, and also some other obligations.I have tested myself enough times to know this: If I do plan my day I accomplish, at least, 2 times more than if I didn't. And my day is not only working, of course! But to accomplish everything I want to, and I feel passionate about, I need to organise and plan it. In order to feel fulfilled and happy! I prefer to spend 10 minutes the night before planning my next day than to feel anxious about not having done anything productive. I have written a detailed blog post before about How you Can Plan your Day and Double your Time.
#2: Use Mornings Wisely!
Another thing that can help you to have time to do everything you want, is the way you use your mornings! As you know, I'm a morning person. Even though, in the past, I always sad I wasn't. Of course I wasn't a morning person... I went to bed at 12 p.m. It would be difficult to actually wake up at 6 a.m.
Actually, it doesn't require much to be a morning person. If you go to bed early, it will be easy to wake up early too. I know some people prefer being night owls, but give mornings a try! Challenge yourself to become a morning person for 15 days! And who knows if you don't actually become one for the rest of the year!
It's so quiet in the early hours of the day, that your capacity of focusing on a certain task is much higher. I could be waking up one hour before my school starts.
Instead, I wake up two hours and a half earlier. The explanation is easy, before I go to school, I have one hour and a half to work on my projects. This includes writing blog posts, planning my week, studying for a subject, brainstorming new ideas and projects, etc!
Technically, there wasn't no need to wake up that early. But I do love to do it! I can start my days by doing stuff that I really love doing. By being productive in the early hours of the day!
As my morning routine also includes the "consumption" of knowledge, I usually get really awesome insights while I listen to podcasts or audiobooks. Those insights give me inspiration to work even better on my own projects! This is one of the reasons why I mostly prefer to wake up really early rather than going to bed late.
Because how much more inspired I am to create new content for you! And no, you don't need to be a morning person if you want to be productive. But in my opinion, it helps quite a lot! Not only because you're able to focus more effectively but also because of the feeling of accomplishment you get.
As science proves, the best time to have great ideas is in the morning. So, I do recommend you to do the things that require more focus in the mornings instead of doing them later.
For example, if you have a work project to do, use mornings to finish it. And use the afternoons, to clean your room.
There's also another reason that I love to start my day early: When most people are waking up, you already did a lot of productive and inspiring things! The time they're forcing themselves out of bed, you are completely focused on finishing an important project.
So when you and a colleague of yours go to work, both at the same time, you already finished something that you needed to do. In the other hand, he/she is just getting started. This gives me a feeling of accomplishment that I'm addicted to!
It actually feels like you have a big advantage compared to your co-workers. And when they are complaining about not having time to finish something they need to do, share with them the tactics you use to get more time throughout the day! Teach them how they can manage their time much more effectively and wisely. If you also feel anxious (I do) when there's a task you really need to complete, in a short period of time, then you have an extra reason to follow the advice I just gave you! Do something productive before going to work!
#3: The 24 hours
Here's one thing I like to think about when I find myself complaining that I don't have time to do everything I committed myself to. Basically, if there's one thing that is equal for all of us, is the time we have per day. We only got 24 hours. And if there are people making real things happen in that time, why can't I do the same?
If there are really occupied people that can manage to write six thousand words per day, it's because it is possible. If they can start a business from scratch in less than 2 weeks, why can't I? Actually, why can't you? Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Tim Ferriss, J.K.Rowling, Oprah Winfrey and all the other successful people you know, have the same 24 hours per day as you do! You neighbour has only 24 hours per day.
So grab those 24 hours and make them your 24 hours! Use them the best way you can possibly think of! Don't waste them doing unproductive things that only make you more stressed. It's important to create habits. But please, don't create the habit of complaining about the fact that your day isn't long enough. It was enough for all those people you admire.
You have two choices. Complaining about how your life is miserable in terms of the time you have. And that will means you will feel frustrated during the day. Or, you can actually grab those hours and manage them the best way possible. The feeling you will experience is magical! I guarantee those 24 hours are enough for you to accomplish what you really want!
Here's a question that the billionaire Peter Thiel asked: “If you have a 10-year plan on how to get [somewhere], you should ask: Why can’t you do this in 6 months?”
Tim Ferriss, in his new book "Tools of Titans", illustrates this quote with an example: “What might you do to accomplish your 10-year goals in the next 6 months, if you had a gun against your head?”
Think about it and change your habits to make sure you have time to do everything you want ;)
#4: Analyse your day!
Did you ever take some time to analyse your day? To find small small breaks that you could be using to do something productive during the day?
You basically need to write down every break you got during the next 24 hours. This includes the time you have for lunch, the time you spend in public or private transportation, the time before going to work, the time you spend watching tv, etc.
This will allow you to have a detailed view of how much free time you actually have during the day. And how you could be using it to improve your life and productivity.
I try to do this exercise every six months or so. I've seen it in different books and podcasts, and this technique is used by really successful people. You must put yourself in the top of a tree (not literally, please!), and watch yourself during the day. Analysing what you do, what you aren't doing that you should and how well (or not) you spend your time.
When you create this "report" about yourself, you will be able to improve and manage all the free time you have. By using those "empty spaces" that we all have throughout the day, to do something we want or really need to do.
Even if you are only able to use 1% of the time you procrastinate, working on something you enjoy, in long term, will make a huge difference in your life.
#5: Do the Math!
Being very minimal (most of the times, you will get much more time than this), if you can manage to get more 30 minutes per day to do something productive, this will happen:
30 minutes per day multiplied by 7 days gives you 210 minutes per week - 3.5 more hours every week!
In one month, you will have more 930 minutes than you used to, or a total of 15.5 more hours!
In one year, you will have more 10950 minutes! Which means 182,5 hours in a year! A total of 7,6 days more in a year!
Like you can see, half an hour per day can turn into 7 days, every year!
Imagine if you could manage your time well enough to spend one more hour of your day doing productive tasks? Or even two hours? Can you imagine how many more weeks you could have in 365 days?
Think about the difference that only 30 minutes more in a day can make! It's amazing. And as soon as you start noticing how 30 minutes can turn into new projects, ideas, businesses, etc, you won't stop trying to find more and more time that you could be using more productively.
If you do analyse your day, and then plan the way you want to manage it wisely, it will feel like you have more than 24 hours, for sure! Why aren't you using the time you spend in public transportation to start something new? And if you go in your own car to work, why aren't you listening to an interesting audiobook/podcast, that will provide you with more great insights? Or even start writing a blog post in those 50 minutes you have in the morning before going to work?
I actually felt stupid, when I realised how much more time I could be having if I only re-used some free time that I had during the day.
In my case, I like to use my morning breaks in school to be active on Pinterest. And I use my early mornings to write blog posts, think and plan new ideas or study for a test. It feels great knowing that when most people are only starting their days, you already accomplished so much! It feels powerful, almost like a strength inside you! You're basically in advantage compared to most people around you!
#6: Review!
I continue to try different approaches and methods to increase my productivity even more. Because this can become an addictive feeling. Trying to be better every single day!
I use the reviewing process to keep track of the techniques I'm using to manage my time. Also to make small changes in my morning routine by finding what is working really well (and how I could improve it) and what isn't.
When you feel that the method you're using is working really well, spend 10 minutes thinking of ways you could improve it even more. You shouldn't be making big changes in a routine that is working amazingly with you! Make some small and simple experiments to test if you could improve that routine 1% more.
Remember that, 30 minutes can turn into 7 more days in a year. 1% can become 100% in 100 days! Like I always say, never stop making progress! Even if it's just the smallest progress you can think of. The accumulation of small achievements will result in something big!
Summary
In summary, there are things you can to do increase dramatically the time you have per day. Even though you have the same amount of hours you did before.
Plan your day
Use mornings wisely
Bill Gates has the same 24 hours as you do
Analyse your day
Turn 30 minutes in 7 days
Review your progress and routines
Do you want to have 7 days more in your year? Then take action!
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