Free Time

 

“Where your attention goes, your time goes.” ~ Idowu Koyenikan

Today I’m delivering a shocking reminder – there are only 5 days to the end of January 2024!

[Gasp]

As of midnight last night, 600 hours of 2024 had been spent.

[Gasp, gasp]

You can work backward to determine how much time you spent sleeping, eating, commuting, waiting, scrolling . . . you get the point.

Usually, what we call ‘free time’ can better be called ‘unmanaged time’ which is defined as time that is not organized, controlled, or directed by external influences. It is time that is not subject to strict schedules, plans, or supervision. Can you think of any such periods in your day? What happens during such periods?

I’m reading a chapter titled ‘Recapturing My Time’ by Gordon MacDonald, in Ordering Your Private World. He talks about 4 laws of unmanaged time that I will share with you today.

Law 1 – Unmanaged time flows toward my weaknesses. According to Gordon, we invest a huge amount of our time doing things we are not good at, at the expense of things we can do effectively. We may be unable or unwilling to delegate such tasks and they end up eating a chunk of our limited time. Brian Tracy in ‘Eat That Frog’ said, “One of the very worst uses of time is to do something very well that need not be done at all.”

Law 2 – Unmanaged time comes under the influence of dominant people in my world. Have you met people in life who seem to have an urgent plan and purpose for everyone they meet and are very vocal about it? Such people seem to know exactly what you should be doing for them ASAP and woe unto you if you do not have a plan for your time. You will quickly be organized and shipped off to their priorities. “Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that you do not let other people spend it for you.” ~ Carl Sandburg

Law 3 – Unmanaged time surrenders to the demands of all emergencies. Most days comprise emergencies that have to be attended to ‘right now’! Really? Unless you are a paramedic, a doctor on call, or a firefighter, I doubt that emergency can’t wait. However, many of us pride ourselves on being available for those around us – family, workmates, friends, etc. – 24/7/365. At the drop of a hat, I’ll be there for you. Yet we never get the same level of reciprocity from them but we just don’t notice that. “You get to decide where your time goes. You can either spend it moving forward, or you can spend it putting out fires. You decide. And if you don’t decide, others will decide for you.” ~ Tony Morgan

Law 4 – Unmanaged time gets invested in things that gain public acclamation. We tend to spend our free time doing things that will get us likes and shares instead of doing the hard work that will move our goals a step forward. “One always has time enough, if one will apply it well.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Effectively managing unmanaged time involves making intentional choices about how to use that time productively, balancing priorities, and avoiding procrastination. What Gordon suggests is that you should be clear about what you intend to achieve in a given time – your big goal. From that, make all your time count and be clear about how you will spend your up and your down time. Manage all distractions during your up-time and direct your down time to activities that will enable you to unwind but still move your goals forward.

Determine today whether you have free-time or unmanaged time. Then go forth and recapture your time.

“Time management is about life management.” ~ Idowu Koyenikan

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” ~ Michael Altshuler

“You don’t get time. You create time.” ~ Sanhita Baruah

 

 

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