I’ve written a few posts here that referenced processes that make you aware of time. Several encouraged you to think of time in 10 minute chunks.
Two very effective friends spoke up to argue against this. One explained to me that he doesn’t think of his time in ten minute chunks, he thinks of it as a queue of tasks, that have a cost and a benefit. Another explained that obsessing over time takes you out of your flow, away from the proper objects of your focus.
They are both right.
I find constant awareness of time exhausting. I want to – but have yet to – meet anyone that can get value from constant time focus like Pomodoro.
I proposed first article that uses 10 minute chunks as a way to think of time as a quantity, to make it more tangible and real. This is helpful for a tween or young adult to introduce awareness of time if they currently don’t step back and see it.
The second article talking about 10 minute chunks is helpful for high-productivity people to have yet another approach to optimizing their time.
The throughline here is that being hyper conscious of time is a momentary & periodic activity. You don’t want to gaze at the clock. You periodically want to consider how your time is spent. You want to audit yourself from time to time.
Day to day has to be habitual. Develop habits that result in your time being well spent. Generally you want this to be generating energy, to be sustainable.
Use time awareness to audit your habits. Your priorities are what you spent your time on in this last month. The priorities on your mental, digital, or physical list that got no time are not your priorities. They are your aspirations.
To recap:
- Become aware of time periodically to audit and find opportunity
- Develop the habit of respecting time and using it for your fulfillment
