How I don’t waste time
If you’re committed to a project or goal, you need to make sacrifices.
As I’ve begun to share my podcast with coworkers, friends, and family, I’ve gained some perspective. When I asked people for their input, I ended up getting asked about why I try to work hard. They aren’t suggesting that it’s not worth doing, but are only curious about what my motivations are.
Why talk about goals and ambitions? The first reason is that it functions as a journal — going back and listening to what I’ve recorded reminds me of things that I have learned, and how I’ve developed. Another reason is that there’s a certain accountability involved when I post online. There’s an added level of responsibility to make sure I follow my word.
Another question that I received was from a co-worker, who asked why exactly I had chosen to record the first few episodes in a car. My answer transitions nicely into describing how I spend my day. Keep in mind that I’m not going into this so that you can learn more about me — I’m just sharing the time-saving strategies that I’ve learned so that others can apply them to their own lives.
I once heard that CEOs who have their daily agenda broken down into five-minute increments are able to squeeze an extra hour of productivity from their day. That’s the approach I have — and so here’s what my day looks like.
I wake up at 4:45 AM, make breakfast and get ready for online language tutoring from 5:30 AM to 7:30 AM. When the lesson ends, I gather my things, jump in the car and begin my 30-minute commute to work. In the car, I listen to language-learning audio lessons from Pimsleur. This is an ideal day, and doesn’t always go according to plan — but I try to get into the office early and spend an hour working on coursework for my certificate program before 8:30 AM arrives and I start work. I’m a software engineer, and at the office, I’m able to play podcasts or audiobooks in order to learn a little something more. 12:30 PM hits, and it’s time for lunch. Usually, I go to a nearby pool and listen to some more audio programs with waterproof headphones. Then I head back to work, eat lunch quickly and get on with my job. At 5:30 PM, I get in the car to head back home — now, instead of listening to podcasts, I’ve transitioned to making these recordings. There’s noise from the road, the AC, the cars around me: but I’m making do. Recording in the car works with my schedule and allows me to continue doing the things that I was already doing throughout the day. After work, I either go home or to the gym, where again I listen to music, radio or more podcasts. Back home I have another two hours of my private language instruction, and by the time 10:00 PM rolls around, I’m off to sleep.
I don’t have much time to “relax.” I get less sleep than recommended, but because my body is always tired, at least I fall asleep quickly. Sometimes there’s an opportunity to read a little bit — I’ll work through a book on my Kindle until I fall asleep. When I wake up, I do it all over again.
This is what making good use of my time looks like for me. I take the opportunity to enrich myself during my commute, or during a workout. I try to make use of every minute. These are everyday activities that almost anybody can replicate. If you’re committed to your personal growth, putting actions like these into practice is how you can achieve it.
