How To Unlock More Time Each Day

Time is virtually impossible to understand.

Time is finite but infinite.

There will always be a tomorrow and time goes on.

But we only have a finite amount of time each day, 24 hours.

And the more time we spend the more time we wish we had.

Most people think it's pointless to try and improve their relationship with time.

We only get 24 hours, I can only do so much, there's no point in dwelling on what I can't control.

But the truth is, you CAN control time.

Time is more malleable than we think.

As a kid my mom took me on three hour trips to Columbus, Georgia to go see my dad.

Except I was certain my mom lied about it being just three hours away from Atlanta.

Every trip felt like six hours and I'd get extremely restless with nothing to do in the cramped back seats.

Years later and I do business road trips that are 8 hours away and I get through it in a breeze.

We've all experienced this phenomenon. 

You go on a road trip to some random place and it drags out. But when you're on the way home it feels so much quicker.

It's because all though time is constant, the way we perceive it isn't.

Psychological studies have shown that on average driving trips feel 22% shorter on the way home than leaving.

All time isn't made equal.

If you want to unlock more time in your day to be more productive, you have to take advantage of this phenomenon.

The general rule of thumb is...

If you're having fun, time flies by quicker.

If you're uncomfortable, time drags along slower.

If you're doing something familiar, it goes by quicker.

If you're experiencing something new, it goes by slowly.

If you're distracted doing many things at once, time zooms by.

If you're focused on a single task, time ticks steadily.

There's a million and one ways to use this for more productivity.

You can choose to do work early in the morning or really late at night where there are minimal distractions. (I prefer late at night.)

You can do hard tasks in new places. Whether it's a park or co-working space you've never been to.

You can do the same tasks in new and surprising ways, to really get every second of dedicated attention. Think a new workout routine or brainstorming with a quirky new process.

There's only 24 hours to your day. But it doesn't mean you can't make yours more valuable than...

Keep forward,

Tim