How to Find the Time to Do the Things You Want to (Even When You Are Crazy Busy)

Have you ever struggled to make time to do something?

You likely struggled because we all have the same 24 hours a day — 168 hours a week. If those hours are full, you will not be able to make any more time. It’s impossible.

A better question to ask is this:

Are you using your 168 hours in the way you want to?

This question is at the heart of Laura Vanderkam’s book 168 Hours — You Have More Time Than You Think.

Laura recommends you conduct a week-long time study. A time study involves logging how you spend your time. Log everything — including sleep, hobbies, breaks, and work tasks in as much detail as possible.

If you decide to do a time study, please remember not to do it to reduce rest time. Rest is an essential component of a wellbeing-driven approach to productivity.

When I did a time study, I logged my activity in 15-minute blocks using a spreadsheet. Laura has templates available on her website, my168hours.com. The data was fascinating and helped me re-prioritise certain aspects of my life. I also realised…

You can’t make time — you can only find it.