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Derek Sivers says, being busy is being out of control. And I agree with him. If you spend time on things that you want to prioritize, you won’t feel busy. You will be working.
Busy is now used as a catch-all term for procrastinating (article on Warren Buffett’s Noah Rule to beat procrastination) or not working on something that gives you fulfilment.
We have made being busy being productive. However, that is not true.
One might say I am busy and spend 2 hours scrolling through Instagram Reels. Some say I am busy and end up watching Netflix. Or even worse, someone says I am busy while spending hours planning their next project or big idea without executing it.
These were all my personal examples. I am that person. And because you’re reading this article, I am assuming you’re too.
Being busy is not good. So how, do you not be busy? How do you find time in your schedule?
ALI ABDAAL’S PRODUCTIVE DAY
I recently was watching Ali Abdaal’s video on being productive. Ali Abdaal uses the term ‘productive’ as a parody at this point but there are lessons to be learned.
Incredibly, all of us have 24 hours and yet Ali Abdaal manages to be training for gym-shark athlete, learn to sketch, host a podcast episode, write a book, have Indian dinner while watching a Bollywood movie, and run a YouTube cohort that gains him $500,000 annually while all I did over the weekend was finish WandaVision and wrote one sorry ass article.
If you look closely at his schedule, it might seem robotic but he gives his projects enough time to make small progress. Each project gets some attention.
Moreover, he has each of the tasks scheduled at a particular time where he builds accountability either by telling others (his roommate), asking others to join him (Twitch), or hiring someone to help him (a coach).
Small changes in isolation make a huge difference in the long run. Accountability helps in pursuing those small changes.
He does art for 60 minutes but does it every weekend. Training for 30 minutes but does it every day. Writes while streaming on Twitch but does it anyway.
MY NYC STORY
My life in NYC was pretty epic but I wasted a hell lot of my time – spent hours drinking, working a ridiculous amount of time (most of it was talking to colleagues), and ‘resting’ the entire weekend because I was so busy.
I discounted the time spent on Instagram, YouTube, Netflix, playing Xbox, and going to places. It made me feel guilty for not doing enough. I wanted to be fit, start a business, blog, learn a musical instrument, learn Spanish. So much. But I didn’t do anything.
And somehow I was busy. To make things worse, I was fine with the wasted time because I was recuperating from the tremendously ‘busy’ week.
The point of awakening for me was when I moved back to India and that too without a job. I did not have a job but still, the busyness remained. I was busy all along. And still, I wasn’t working on the side-project. Not working out. Not starting something new.
And still busy.
I followed the steps below. It did mean sacrificing time on a lot of things. I am not the quickest to answer my phones or say yes to plans. But I give time to work on things that I really want to do, things that make me happy.
After consistently writing articles for 1 year, hosting podcast shows, and working on my creative side, I am in fact a wee bit happier.
Here are the steps I followed. It’s no rocket science. But sometimes, all you need is for someone else to say it out loud.
I also appreciate my incredibly biased opinion saying the following method could help you find time because I live alone, don’t have much of a social life currently, and am single. I honestly am not sure, if I am in either of the above situations that I will find the same amount of time using the same method noted below.
First Step – Auditing Time
The first step is always to audit. Without reflection, you can’t improve. Where are you spending your time? How are you busy?
Audit your day. Audit your week.
Do it for one week. Find out what are the things that are keeping you busy.
When I decided to do my time audit, I realized I was busy because of Instagram, meeting friends, watching YouTube videos, all along thinking I was being productive. But all along, I felt guilty; guilty for not working on that side-project, guilty for not working out, guilty for not starting something new.
I looked at my screen-time and checked each application I was using and for how much time. I also used to log in time spent meeting friends and talking to them. Essentially, figuring out why I am busy.
Second Step – Cut Distractions & Prioritize
Based on my audit, I was able to cut down on things that gave me a sense of being productive but were actually not. Watching videos on YouTube for 3 hours on how to start a blog without actually buying a domain is not going to help.
Nobody has ever eaten their way to becoming a Michelin Star chef. You have to actually cook.
David Perell
I also cut down on distractions. Instagram has a 30-minute window per day. I used it to post something related to my blog or scroll through limitless reels. The choice was mine. But all I got was 30-minutes.
Distractions are easy to identify. It’s something you know that you shouldn’t be doing but you’re still doing. You know mindlessly browsing a website for clothes is not getting you anywhere. It’s a distraction.
The difficult thing to cut down on are things that give you a sense of productivity. Ever had a weekend when you’re feeling productive and ready to start a project. And then a friend calls. “Hey, let’s meet up!”. You are feeling productive. But it’s your good friend who is asking to meet you. It will be fun. Meeting friends is being somewhat productive. You are freshening up. You will be productive once back.
And that’s the end of the day. By the time you’re back from meeting your friend, productivity is gone and you feel like a tube of toothpaste that has been squeezed to its last breath by a Gujarati family.
Those are the important things you have to cut on to find time in your “busy” schedule.
Another important thing is learning to say no. You cannot say yes to all the plans. You need to be selective about where you spend your energy.
When you have limited time, energy, and attention, you have to get super clear on where you’re going to spend it. Otherwise, you’re going to spend the rest of your life prioritizing someone else’s dreams while yours are left in a drawer collecting dust. “
Matt D’Avella
Ask yourself, per day, what are the tasks that you want to utilize your energy on? It makes a huge difference in your thinking process when you start thinking of time instead of energy.
High energy tasks should be the ones that give you a sense of fulfillment, things that you want to do. If your high-energy tasks are consuming your entire day, say no to other things or postpone them.
I call my friends while I am on a walk or on weekends. On weekdays after work, I am usually working on my side projects. I watch Netflix on Fridays from 7pm-1am and that’s it. If an interesting show has been recommended, it has to wait until Friday.
Third Step – Habit Formation
I am not a miserable oaf who doesn’t meet friends or talk to them. But I talk to them when I am free. Usually. Yes, I know. Such a dick. But I have realized it’s the sacrifice I have to make to remain happy.
I am ready to sacrifice time with my friends to work on something amazing. I can still schedule time with friends. But impromptu plans are difficult because most weeks, I have a plan.
And that’s where habits play a major role.
Habit creation has been brilliantly explained in Atomic Habits and I won’t go over everything.
But an important way that you can start working on things that you want to work on in your “busy” schedule is by forming strong habits.
Scheduling time every day, working on the same project consistently. For example, I have Sunday evenings planned for recording Cold Brew Money, I will keep my calendar open for Sundays most days for the recording. It might mean missing out on a couple of episodes of a TV show or not going out for dinner. But the project will progress which will give a bigger sense of accomplishment.
If you want to start meditation, schedule 10-minutes every morning to meditate. Do it after you shower but do it every day. If it means not touching your phone to not be distracted by Whatsapp messages from your group, do it. Take 10-minutes out of your busy schedule and meditate. Surprisingly, Whatsapp messages tend to stay.
If you want to start a blog, but a habit of writing daily after work. 30-minutes every day after work to progress your blog. You will make incredible gains in just a couple of months.
Fourth Step – Accounting Time
First auditing, now accounting. I truly work for a Big-4 firm.
But now you’ve scheduled time for your side project or working out or reading or whatever fuck you wanted to do, account for the open time during the day.
I guarantee you will still find time to scroll through Instagram and watch YouTube and call friends. But you will be doing this while progressing on things that you say in your head that you will but never do.
You will be accounting for your time during the day.
If you have understood the article, you will understand what I am saying. I am really hoping you won’t message me and say that I love watching Netflix so your article is shit. Because if you do message me that, you have completely missed the point of this article. Or I have done a shitty job in explaining.
I am saying to account for the time you’re spending. If you want to spend the weekend with your friends. 100% do it. But don’t think about the side-project on the back of your mind and feel guilty for not starting it.
I have one weekend planned per month to do absolutely nothing. And I don’t feel guilty for wasting my time that day. It’s amazing. It’s similar to the idea of a cheat day. For me it’s cheat weekend. Some of my best ideas have come during that weekend.
Account for that time, plan ahead. I have laid out some tips on how to manage your time in my previous article, give it a read.
It is said ‘put the money where your mouth is. All I am saying, ‘put the time where your mind is’.
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