Embedded Files
Chapter Six
Mission
Mission
The goal is to determine where our time is currently being spent so we can intentionally replace unproductive hours with more focused, efficient time management, improving our overall effectiveness and time usage.
Concept
Concept
The 168R Time Audit refers to evaluating how we currently spend our 168 hours in a week to identify unproductive or wasted time. By conducting this audit, we gain insights into how our time is used and discover opportunities for improvement. This chapter introduces a simple method to estimate and track weekly activities to help align time use with personal goals.
Operational Definitions
Operational Definitions
Several key terms are clarified to ensure understanding throughout the book:
Fixed Time: Regular, recurring tasks that are essential and happen consistently (e.g., work, sleep).
Float Time: Flexible time that may or may not occur, depending on the week (e.g., spontaneous social events).
Routine: Activities repeated on a regular basis, creating predictable patterns.
Waste: Time unaccounted for or spent on unproductive actions.
Quality Time: Intentional, productive time spent on activities that align with personal goals.
Quantity Time: Spending extended hours on a task but without achieving high productivity.
Key Concepts:
168 Hours in a Week: Time is a constant resource; knowing how we spend it is crucial for making improvements.
168R: The "R" stands for "Real," indicating the actual time spent on various activities in a week.
Understanding Your Baseline: By auditing our time, we create a clear picture of our current routines and habits, allowing for better planning and changes in future chapters.
Story
Story
The chapter tells the story of Steve, a student who sets ambitious New Year’s resolutions to improve his health, work, and studies but quickly falters because he doesn’t know where his time is going. Without understanding his current habits, Steve overextends himself, neglects self-care, and quickly returns to old patterns of procrastination and poor time management. His experience highlights the importance of understanding where time is currently spent before making significant changes.
Lesson
Lesson
The moral of Steve’s story is simple: “Look before you leap.” Before making big changes in how we manage time, we must first audit our current habits and understand our routines. Starting from where we currently stand provides the necessary foundation for making effective, lasting improvements in our time management.
Plan of Application
Plan of Application
The objective is to identify gaps and waste in our weekly schedule. By creating a visual time map, we can see opportunities for improvement and prepare for intentional changes in future chapters. Begin with auditing major activities, then refine your understanding of how your time is truly spent over the course of a typical week. This will provide the baseline for better time management and future planning.
Exercises
Exercises
Time Audit: List all significant activities you perform in a week (those that take more than 30 minutes) and estimate the amount of time spent on each. This can be done using the provided 168R tool or manually on paper.
Categorization: Group your time into Fixed Time (e.g., work, sleep) and Float Time (flexible hours), then assess how much time is unaccounted for.
Reflection: Ask yourself where you spend wasted or unproductive time and how it could be replaced with activities aligned with your goals.
Addition Reading Recommendations Based on Chapter Topic
Addition Reading Recommendations Based on Chapter Topic
"Walden" by Henry David Thoreau
My profession at Appalachian State University, Dr. Beck had us read this book for out automation psychology class. It was a profound read that helped me understand awareness and change. In "Walden," Henry David Thoreau delves into the philosophy of living simply and deliberately, documenting his experiment of near isolation at Walden Pond. This narrative underscores the importance of understanding how we currently utilize our time by stripping life down to its basics. Thoreau’s insights are crucial for anyone looking to reassess their daily routines and commitments. His approach encourages readers to identify what truly adds value to their lives, making it an relevant read for the chapter focused on evaluating and optimizing the use of time within the 168R framework. I still come back to this book regularly to keep myself grounded.
"Capital in the Twenty-First Century" by Thomas Piketty
This is another heavy book, but one that helps get the concept of operating from reality. Thomas Piketty’s "Capital in the Twenty-First Century" examines economic and social inequality across centuries, providing a broad and individualized view of how wealth accumulation and distribution impact individual lives over time. For a chapter on understanding our current standing in time use, Piketty’s perspectives help frame how broader economic conditions can influence personal decisions about time investment and resource allocation. This book is very important for understanding the issues we face economically but is also a great read for those looking to understand how external factors can shape their personal time management strategies, thereby providing opportunity for more effective change in the future.
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