There is time.

Today, I watched the TED talk "How to Gain Control of Your Free Time" by Laura Vanderkam, which inspired me a lot. I'd like to share some of the key points with you.

The speaker begins by explaining that good time management doesn’t simply mean always being punctual. She emphasizes the importance of letting go of common misconceptions, such as believing you must “find” time for what matters or that time-saving hacks are the key. Instead, you should focus on doing what truly matters. For example, Vanderkam mentions a very busy woman who managed to find seven hours in one week to deal with a household emergency. It wasn’t because she magically freed up time, but because she made it a priority.

"We don't build the lives we want by saving time.
We build the lives we want, and then time saves itself."

You need to clarify your priorities, and this requires specific skills. The speaker shares two main strategies. First, plan ahead by breaking down your goals and assessing what you need to do in advance. Second, she suggests that Friday afternoon is a good time to identify your priorities because the opportunity cost is low. Once you are clear about your priorities, you can focus on what matters and naturally save time.

Time is highly elastic. We all have 168 hours in a week, and even if we feel busy, we still have time for what truly matters.

When we focus on what’s important, we can build the lives we want within the time we have.

I agree with the speaker and would also like to remind you not to work on a single task for too long. After periods of intense work, it’s important to get up and relax. I recommend an app called Stretchly, which I use to remind myself to take breaks and relax.