Dear Quartz members—
Time is scarce and, for many of us, a precious resource. How can we squeeze more of it into our day? Naturally we can’t, but we can improve our relationship with it and, at the very least, feel less overwhelmed. This week’s field guide is all about taming time and making the most of the time that we have.
In her state of play, Quartz at Work editor Heather Landy offers three distinct ways to think about time: as a resource, as a currency, and as a source of conflict. To better manage time as a resource, “visualize how much of it you have, what you’ve done with it so far, and what more you’d like to do with it,” Heather writes. For some people, creating a timeline of your life can be a motivator and help with setting goals.
But time isn’t just a resource. It’s also a way we communicate who’s important and who’s in charge. Are you sending the message to colleagues that your time is more important than theirs? Unsurprisingly, time is a common source of conflict, especially between those who prefer to live by clock time and those who don’t.
If you want to better manage your time, start with Quartz’s presentation on productivity, which introduces tried-and-true productivity systems as well as some of the best to-do list and note-taking apps. Then read Quartz’s comprehensive guide to structuring your day. Finally, minimize distractions. Indistractable author Nir Eyal explains how in this QZ&A.
TO DISCUSS WITH FRIENDS OVER DINNER…
- Wondering why it’s hard to plan ahead? 70% of the time on our calendars is booked less than one week ahead of time, according to Tim Campos, a former Facebook executive and founder of the calendar app Woven, and 60% of the time booked on our calendars is booked by someone else.
- US president Dwight Eisenhower famously said, “I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent.” That insight is at the center of one of the most common ways for thinking about productivity.
- Prefer to keep a to-do list by hand? Even using pen-and-paper, there are hacks to improve your productivity, including one called “bullet journaling” where different symbols represent different kinds of information.
- Do you like to eat lunch at a particular time? Or do you eat when you’re hungry or have finished a task? If you answered the former, you likely prefer clock time. If you said the latter, you likely prefer event time.
…OR WITH US, ON FRIDAY, ON THIS CALL
Join us for a discussion on Friday at 11:00am ET with Heather. She’ll discuss our constant quest to better use our time, and explain why stepping back to rethink your relationship with time is a crucial first step. We’ll be taking questions and comments live on the video conference call, accessible at the usual location.
If you’d like to dial in, use the following numbers:
UK: 0800-014 8469
USA: 866-226 4650
For all of the numbers, the access code is 722 994 440.
Best wishes for a productive week and happy New Year,
Walter Frick
Membership editor, Quartz