If You Think You Don’t Have Time, Read This Before Another Week Disappears
- Dr. ARUN V J
- 12 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Have you ever looked back at a week and wondered where all the hours went?You had plans, you had goals, and yet — somehow — the week dissolved into a blur of messages, meetings, and “I’ll do it later.”
Most of us don’t really run out of time.
We just fail to see where it’s slipping away.
The Illusion That We Have More Time
Human beings are built with a strange bias. We believe the future will have more time than today.
That’s why we say things like:
“Once this project ends, I’ll start exercising.”
“After this quarter, I’ll spend more time with family.”
“Once I settle down, I’ll travel.”
But neuroscience says otherwise.
Our brain is bad at estimating time because it discounts the future — meaning, we feel today’s urgency more than tomorrow’s. So we delay things that truly matter, assuming there will always be “later.”
Here’s the truth: Later rarely comes. And when it does, it’s already halfway gone.
Understanding the Shortness of Time
Let’s put this in perspective.
If the history of humankind were compressed into 24 hours, your entire 80-year life would last less than a second.
One second — to love, to learn, to build, to dream, to give, to experience.
That’s how short our window is.
And yet, we waste hours each day on things that don’t move us forward or make us fulfilled.
So the first rule of time management isn’t about tools or apps.
It’s about awareness — recognizing that every moment we waste is a piece of our only life, quietly ticking away.
Step 1: Compare Perception vs. Reality
Before you begin tracking, take a piece of paper and estimate how many hours you think you spend on each activity: Work, sleep, family, entertainment, personal care, commute, and so on.
Most people find their total adds up to more than 24 hours — a clear sign that we overestimate how much we do.
Step 2: You can’t manage what you don’t see.
For one week, write down every single thing you do — in 15-minute blocks. You can do this on paper, a simple notebook, or a free digital timer app.
Track everything: when you wake up, commute, work, scroll, talk, eat, rest, think, even “do nothing.”
Yes, it sounds tedious. But after a week, you’ll see patterns that shock you.
For example:
You think you only check social media “a few minutes” — but the log shows 2 hours.
You believe you spend time with family every evening — but it’s really 20 minutes between phone notifications.
You assume you’re working 8 focused hours — but only 4 are deep work.
This is where time management begins — with brutal honesty.
Once you see where your hours go, you can start reclaiming them.
This small experiment rewires your thinking. You start seeing that you don’t need more time — you just need to stop lying to yourself about it.
Track Everything — Because What Gets Measured, Improves
Step 3: Cut the Noise — Deep Work Over Busy Work
Cal Newport, author of Deep Work, describes the problem perfectly :We mistake being busy for being productive.
Our brain is not designed to multitask. Every time you switch between tasks — say, from email to writing — your brain loses focus and energy. This “switching cost” creates mental fatigue and kills creativity.
Here’s what to do instead:
Choose one high-value task. Something that truly matters — not just what looks urgent.
Block 90 minutes of uninterrupted time. No calls, no notifications.
Tell others not to disturb you unless it’s urgent.
Take a 10-minute break after — to recharge your attention.
Repeat this twice a day. You’ll do more in three focused hours than most people do in ten distracted ones.
Step 4: Time Blocking — A Simple Framework That Actually Works
Instead of reacting to your day, plan your day in blocks.
At the start of the day (or the night before), write down your main activities — and assign each a time slot.
Example:
Time | Task |
6:30–7:30 AM | Exercise and morning routine |
8:00–12:00 PM | Deep work / main project |
12:00–1:00 PM | Lunch + short walk |
1:00–3:00 PM | Meetings / calls |
3:00–4:00 PM | Email + admin tasks |
4:00–5:00 PM | Learning / reading |
6:00–9:00 PM | Family, rest, personal time |
Time blocking works because it gives your mind structure.It converts vague intentions into visible commitment.
And when you plan rest into your schedule, guilt disappears — because you’ve already earned it.
Step 5: The Pomodoro Technique — Train Your Focus Muscle
If you struggle to concentrate for long stretches, try the Pomodoro Technique.
It’s simple:
Work for 25 minutes (set a timer).
Take a 5-minute break.
After four sessions, take a longer break (15–30 minutes).
It sounds too easy — but it’s backed by behavioral psychology. The timer creates urgency and reward — a mini “deadline dopamine” cycle that keeps you moving.
Use it when starting difficult or boring tasks. The brain resists starting big things — but once you begin, momentum takes over.
Step 6: Say “No” More Often
Every “yes” costs you something — time, energy, focus.
If everything is a priority, nothing is.
Here’s a simple mental filter: Before saying yes to a task, ask:
“Would I still say yes if this were happening tomorrow morning?”
If not — it’s probably not worth your time. Protect your calendar like you protect your health. Because in a way, they’re the same thing.
Step 7: Learn to Live While You Manage
There’s a Latin phrase called memento mori — “remember that you will die.”It’s not meant to be dark. It’s meant to remind you that time isn’t infinite.
But there’s also memento vivere — “remember to live.”
Time management isn’t about cramming more into your day. It’s about making space for what matters most.
Don’t just manage time. Experience it. Enjoy the walk, the meal, the laughter, the silence. Because no productivity system can give back the minutes you never truly lived.
Step 8: A Few Tools — Only If You Need Them
Digital tools can help — but they’re not the solution. If you depend on them too early, they become distractions themselves.
Still, once your mindset is right, here are some light tools worth exploring:
Todoist or Google Tasks — for simple to-do lists.
Notion or Evernote — for journaling and tracking time logs.
Forest — gamifies focus by growing a virtual tree while you stay off your phone.
RescueTime — shows where your computer hours really go.
But remember — tools don’t create discipline. You do.
In the End, It’s Not About Time — It’s About Awareness
Every minute you spend reading this, scrolling social media, or checking emails is an invisible trade. You’re exchanging life for something — a memory, a task, a dopamine hit.
Time management isn’t just about productivity. It’s about deciding what’s worth trading your life for.
Start small. Track your week. Protect your focus. Live consciously.
And the next time you catch yourself saying,
“I don’t have time,” pause — and whisper, “No, I just haven’t noticed where it’s going.”
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