Scott’s Daily Boost Show Notes —
A letter I received about 10 minutes ago…
“When you showed us your calendar a few weeks ago, I noticed how bear it was. You hadn’t time blocked your podcast recordings, checking emails, calling friends, date night, learning time, developing course materials, Marketing activities, etc. I assumed you should time block every area of your life to ensure you achieve balance.”
I believe work-life balance is a myth.
Isn’t every minute of the day the same?
There are no work, play, happy or sad minutes—there are only minutes. I don’t need to balance them because they are all the same.
Since I have a pre-determined way that I want to live my life, it doesn’t matter when I do it.
Having said that…
Having a calendar that it booked every 10 minutes is one of the most stressful things I can think of having. I would bet it’s the biggest reason people get burned out or retire.
In my view, a calendar’s only job is to serve as a reminder system for any of those minutes that will involve other people — and not even all of those.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t need a reminder to go on a date night with my wife.
I know some people say you should schedule time for yourself on your calendar to ensure you get things done.
But it seems to me I shouldn’t have to schedule my own time — since is MY time.
I should have a clear understanding of the life I want to live, what I need to do, and the discipline to get it done—in the space between those pesky appointments.
Let me be clear.
I absolutely have days of the week and hours of the day that I broadly dedicate to things like work, play, learning, and relaxing.
Within those large blocks, I look at my task list and decide, based on Due Date and Priority, what I need to focus on that day. When that’s done, I’m done.
Larger projects are no different.
I simply look ahead to the days and hours I have available, set the Due Date for those times, and when that day arrives, get it done.
Is that time blocking?
No. There’s no need to block my time because it’s already mine.
All of my time is my time. I guard it, ensure I know what I need to do, and have the discipline to do it as quickly as possible.
I strictly control the time that others are taking. If I don’t, I won’t have more time.