One of the first areas of exploration I’m diving into is time-boxing. This is a self-management tool I have used in the past, but I never really liked it unless I was scheduling time off from raising kids or doing my job. Something like an
hour to DYOB (do your own business) or a Saturday “say no to everyone but
yourself”.
Recently, I was inspired by Nir Eyal’s ideas from his interview with Ali Abdaal, "How to Stay Focused and Beat Distraction". So, I've decided to experiment with this method for the next 3-4 months. I aim to live according to my calendar and time-box my work in areas I hold dear.
Eyal doesn’t like to-do lists, which I've also tried and dropped many times over the years. He advocates for time-boxing as a way to truly align our time with our intentions. The way Eyal talks about it, the advantage of time-boxing is that it isn’t about finishing every task—because life’s unpredictable, and it is really hard to know how long a task will take. Also, what does "finish" mean when it comes to writing or creative work?
Recently, I was inspired by Nir Eyal’s ideas from his interview with Ali Abdaal, "How to Stay Focused and Beat Distraction". So, I've decided to experiment with this method for the next 3-4 months. I aim to live according to my calendar and time-box my work in areas I hold dear.
Eyal doesn’t like to-do lists, which I've also tried and dropped many times over the years. He advocates for time-boxing as a way to truly align our time with our intentions. The way Eyal talks about it, the advantage of time-boxing is that it isn’t about finishing every task—because life’s unpredictable, and it is really hard to know how long a task will take. Also, what does "finish" mean when it comes to writing or creative work?
He highlights the difference between time-boxing reflective work (which requires focus) and reactive work (which needs to get done quickly and painlessly). Asking oneself: Did I focus my attention on the
activities I intended to do? Was I able to do them without distractions?
To make admin work more enjoyable, I’m adopting the idea suggested by Ali Abdaal (the interviewer in the video) of doing a regular Admin Party. I’ll allocate specific time for this type of work (e.g. answering emails, banking, and scheduling doctor’s appointments) and try to make it fun. For example, when I’m at a café or the library—where I enjoy some level of distraction—I’ll dedicate that time to administrative tasks. Adding constraints and some variability can keep things engaging while helping me stay on track.
To make admin work more enjoyable, I’m adopting the idea suggested by Ali Abdaal (the interviewer in the video) of doing a regular Admin Party. I’ll allocate specific time for this type of work (e.g. answering emails, banking, and scheduling doctor’s appointments) and try to make it fun. For example, when I’m at a café or the library—where I enjoy some level of distraction—I’ll dedicate that time to administrative tasks. Adding constraints and some variability can keep things engaging while helping me stay on track.
On the other hand, for artistic and reflective work, I want to take a different approach when setting up my weekly schedule. I’ll ask myself, “Knowing the limited time I have, how would the person I want to become in the future spend their time?”
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