The only thing we can fully control, is how we spend our time

2015-02-26 Tobias Wallin

TL;DR Let go of trying to do as much as possible, and instead focus on how you spend your time. This enables you to form productive habits.

Do you ever tell yourself that today, or tomorrow, will be the day you get all that stuff done?

It’s easy to get into a habit of wanting to do as much as possible every day. Chances are you have a lot of things you need to take care of, and a lot of things you want to spend more time on. Finding a good balance here is hard.

We can't fully control how much we get done in a day. We often think we know how much time something takes, but we only guesstimate. Whenever something takes longer than we’ve anticipated, stress builds up.

So what can we control?

We can control how we spend our time

Instead of focusing on what we are going to get done, we should focus on how we're spending our time. It doesn't matter if you don't feel you get a lot of stuff done, just spending time on the right things is enough.

Pretty much every great thing you want to do in life is a marathon. It’s never about the sprints or the occasional obsession. It’s about moving forward in a pace working for you. Some days will be the days you get a lot of stuff done, while other days will be the days you don’t get that much done. The important thing is forming the right habits. Every day, you have the option of dedicate time towards your goals. And as soon as you do that, you will be making real progress.

This is the real accomplishment! It doesn’t matter how fast you walk as long as you’re walking forward. When you let go of the notion of getting as much stuff done as possible, you’re also letting go of a lot of unnecessary stress.

Imagine something you should work on.

Let go of the notion that you need to complete a certain amount of tasks.

The only deal you make with your self is how much time you're going to spend.

It doesn't matter how much you get done during this time.

How did it feel?

Thinking like this makes it a whole lot easier to get started with things. When it’s easier starting things, you do it more frequently and it eventually becomes a habit.

Be nice to yourself. Not all days will be productive and that’s okay. Moving forward at any pace is what matters. Give yourself credit for dedicating time regardless of how much you get done.

I started to gradually move towards this way of life some time ago, by logging all my time in spreadsheets. But logging time should be fun and rewarding, so I decided to create Attainr.

Attainr is a personal time tracker, fueled by the idea that how we spend our time and which habits we form are what counts in the long run, not how much we accomplish in a day or week. It’s built to feel rewarding when you spend time, regardless of how what you get done in that time.

If you’re curious about this approach, please sign up and try it out. If you have any feedback or suggestions, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Written by: Tobias Wallin

Special thanks to:

Joakim Sandström, Leo Ryberg, Moa Wallin and Felicia Westin