Things That Keep Us Up At Night

22: I Don't Have Time For That

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Today’s episode is all about creating more time for the things we want and saying, “no,” to the things we don’t. 

What if we stopped using the phrase, "I don't have time for that."?

What if we started saying, “I’m choosing to do other things with my time” 

Or, "That’s not important enough for me to make time."

Then, we are forced to actually take stock of what we are spending our time doing.

Do I really not have time, or do I just not want to do it?

What if we added up all of the spare time and used it to do things that are essential to life, but that many of us actively choose not to do enough of?! 

So, how do we create more time in our days? Here are 5 ways. This is not a be all end all list. There are many ways to create more time, but these may give you some ideas.

  1. Just say, “No”: This slogan got a bad rap as part of the war on drugs in the 80s and 90s, but when you take it out of that context, it’s a valuable tool. It’s okay to say no. Actually, it’s necessary to say no to things you don’t want to make room to say yes to the things you do want. 
  2. Create a to-do list: This helps us clear our brains of the information and get it on paper. It creates more space for the other important thinking that needs to happen. Then, you don’t waste time trying to remember what you needed to do on any given day.
  3. Work during your most productive time: If you’re unsure of what your most productive time is, start being mindful of when your day seems to flow. When tasks are done with ease. When does it feel good to be working? It may be different times of day for different types of work. Focused, detail oriented work may be easy at one time, while creative thinking may happen best at another time. If you want to investigate this further, listen to episode #12: Lions, Wolves, and Bears...And dolphins?! Oh My!. In this episode I introduce the concept of chronotypes. A chronotype is the classification of the general timing of your biological clock. It dictates your sleep/wake cycles, hunger, energy levels, and just about everything else you do in your life. 
  4. Create a Routine: A morning and evening routine will help you further save your finite decision making power. Creating a morning routine, with a consistent wake time, and an evening routine with a consistent bedtime will program our brain to do these things without much willpower required. When you don’t have to make those decisions about when to get up and when to go to sleep, you save a lot of time each day.
  5. Sleep More: I know this seems counterintuitive. Sleeping more, means more time that you’re not doing things. But, more sleep actually leads to improved wellbeing, productivity, creativity, decision making power, and so many other benefits. By sleeping more, you will be more efficient while you’re awake. Increased efficiency means more time to do the things that you previously didn’t have time for.

    6. Listen to the full episode to get your action items.

    This episode is sponsored by The Sleep Reclamation Project. Head to abbydesjardien.com/membership to find out more.

    Let me know what you think about this episode and:

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    Song Credits: I Can't Sleep by My My Snake Eyes feat. Red Red Revision


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    Things That Keep Us Up At NightBy Abby DesJardien
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