In her book “ Time Warped ,” Claudia Hammond upends the assumption that time is an objective, independent phenomenon.

“Time is not only at the heart of the way we organize life,” she writes, “but the way we experience it.”

According to Hammond, time is actually a product of our own minds. We create time by perceiving it.

If time really is personal and subjective, we have much more control over it than we realize. And from a productivity standpoint, controlling our time is key.

I’ve been experimenting with calendar hacks for years, searching for ways to optimize productivity with minimal effort. What I’ve learned is that hacking your calendar isn’t about finding shortcuts. It’s much simpler than that.

You can control time by mastering a few simple principles: Align every action with its ideal timing, minimize disruptions, and drink plenty of water.

There are infinite productivity systems out there that tell you how to time your tasks for the day, but it doesn’t matter when or how you get work done; it’s just a matter of identifying your “ideal time” and optimizing your calendar to follow this rhythm.