Time Management

Time is like a double-edged sword. If you use it wisely, it can improve you every day—every
second. But if you neglect it, it will work against you, slowly wearing you down moment by
moment. To master this powerful force, we rely on a concept known as time management.

Time management is such a widely recognized and discussed topic that countless books
have been written on it. Among the most popular are:

• Getting Things Done by David Allen

• Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy

• 168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam

These are just a few of the top resources available. And while they offer valuable insights, I
personally find one major issue with them: they tend to teach time management as a set of
techniques or predefined responses—"if X happens, do Y." It reminds me of how martial
arts is sometimes taught. For every possible attack, there’s a rehearsed counter. But real
life isn't so scripted.

Imagine a karate student who has mastered dozens of choreographed responses but has
never faced a real-life street fight. In an actual confrontation, there's no time to recall each
move step by step. While the student is trying to analyze the opponent’s grip, they’re
already on the ground—knocked out by someone who isn’t playing by the same rules.

That’s the flaw I see in many time management systems. They teach you how to handle
their problems based on their lives. But your life isn’t theirs. Everyone has different
routines, pressures, and priorities. Learning rigid techniques without context may leave you
unprepared for the real, messy nature of life.

Let’s compare it to art. Many students study under the same teacher, but no two artists
create identical work. Why? Because they don’t simply copy the teacher’s style—they
absorb the fundamentals and then develop their own approach.

That’s exactly what I want to help you do with time management. Don’t copy my style.
Instead, I’ll share techniques and principles so you can adapt them to your unique lifestyle,
responsibilities, and goals.

So, let’s dive into the real essence of time management.

1. Observing the Loop

Time management begins with paying attention to how you live each day. Watch how your
day flows. What do you do each day? How do you spend your hours? I’m not telling you to
grab a notebook or make a long list—there’s no need for that unless you want to. Your mind
is smart enough to notice these patterns on its own.

Once you start paying attention, ask yourself a simple question:

"Is the way I'm spending my time actually worth it?"

2. Finding the Loophole

Now that you’ve observed your daily routine—your “loop”—the next step is to look for
loopholes. Look for moments where you're wasting time or doing things that don’t help you
move toward your goals. These gaps are your hidden chances.

Start asking:

• “Where can I make space for my goals?”

• “How can I adjust my day to get more time for what truly matters?”

You don’t need a big change—just a few small shifts can open up time you didn’t know you
had.

3. Breaking the Loop

This is the toughest step, but also the one that matters the most.
After observing and finding loopholes, now you need to break the old loop. This means
taking action.

Most people fail at this step. Why? Because the routines they want to break have become
automatic. Their brain is used to the comfort zone. And when the brain senses change, it
fights back. It tells you things like:

• “You’re too tired.”

• “Start tomorrow.”

• “This one time won’t hurt.”

Sound familiar?

Let me give you an example:

If you’ve ever taken a cold bath in winter, you know what happens: right before pouring that
first bowl of cold water on your head, your brain screams “Don’t do it!”
But you ignore it. You throw the water anyway.
It feels terrible for a few seconds—but then it gets easier. After a while, it even becomes
refreshing.
Breaking routines works the same way.

3.1 How to Beat Your Brain: 3 Techniques

1. Don’t Give Your Mind a Choice

Your brain will try to talk you out of it. Don’t let it. Tell yourself:
“This isn’t optional. I have to do it.”
The more choices you give your mind, the more excuses it will make.

2. Take Action Fast

Don’t argue with your mind. You’ll lose—because your brain knows you better than anyone.
The moment you think of taking action, just do it.
Speed kills procrastination.

3. Believe in Long-Term Results

Even if you manage to beat excuses and take action, many people still give up. Why?
Because they expect fast results.
And when they don’t see them quickly, they quit.

But you have to trust the process. Believe in the long-term.

Believe blindly if you must.

Even Elon Musk once said:

“I’d rather be optimistic and wrong than pessimistic and right.”

Stay hopeful. Keep moving.

These techniques are simple—but powerful. They can help you destroy procrastination and
take back control of your time.

Time Management Techniques

Now that you understand how to observe, find loopholes, and break loops, let’s go over
some basic but powerful time management techniques.
1. Don’t Panic

This is the foundation. If you panic, your brain shuts down the problem-solving part (the
prefrontal cortex) and switches to the emotional part (the limbic system).
When that happens, you don’t act—you overthink. You feel stuck or even depressed.

So, when things go wrong, stay calm. Take a breath. Look at the situation clearly, and tell
yourself:
“I’m here to solve, not to sink.”

2. Choose What’s Important

When you have too many tasks, don’t rush to finish the easiest ones. Many people pick the
quick tasks first—but that’s not always smart.

Ask yourself:
“What’s most important?”

• If a task is important and also quick—do it first.

• If a task is important and takes more time—still do it first.

Important always beats easy.

3. How to Decide What’s Important

There are famous methods like Warren Buffett’s 5/25 rule, the Rule of 3, and the
Eisenhower Matrix.
Forget the fancy names—you only need to learn the concept and how to use it.

Here’s how to use it simply:

Imagine you have a bunch of tasks, and you’re overwhelmed.

Stop. Take a moment. Pick the top 3 most important tasks.

Now, from those 3, pick the 1 most important one.

Once you’ve picked your top 3 tasks, choose the one that matters the most—start with
that.
After that, move on to the next one, and then the last.
Simple. Effective. No stress.
Summary — What You’ve Learned

Let’s quickly go over what you’ve learned so far—just a simple recap to keep it all clear and
fresh in your mind:

• Set your goals.

• Observe your daily routine.

• Find where your time is slipping away.

• Break the unhelpful loops by taking action.

Use 3 simple techniques to stay focused:

1. Don’t give your mind choices.

2. Act fast.

3. Trust the long-term.

Apply the time management techniques:

1. Don’t panic.

2. Choose what matters.

3. Focus on one thing at a time.