Everyone wishes for more time. More time to create, more time to sleep, more time with loved ones. We constantly search for more time and fail. What if, instead of adding more time, you could multiply the time you already have?
As we pursue a passion we may assume procrastination won’t be a problem. Unfortunately, working on a dream requires tremendous effort, and we fall victim to postponing the work we know we should be doing.
We rob time from ourselves and wonder why we can’t get everything done.
This week on The Portfolio Life, Rory Vaden and I talk about his latest book, Procrastinate on Purpose, and how changing our perspective of time management results in multiplying our time to do work that matters.
Listen in as we discuss three dimensional thinking, the significance calculation, and how a “focus funnel” exponentially impacts our available time.
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Thinking with longevity leads to legacy
Procrastination and productivity are strange bedfellows. Typically we think of procrastination as the antithesis of productivity. During our conversation, Rory shed fresh light on our misconception of time management and shared how to procrastinate on purpose.
Everyone has the same 24 hours each day. It’s impossible to create more time within those 24 hours. From this viewpoint, our natural tendency is to cram as much work as possible into 24 hours so we can fall asleep feeling productive. We are slaves to the tyranny of the urgent (how soon something matters) and the important (how much something matters).
According to Rory, therein lies a secret of ultra performers. Instead of thinking of productivity within the limitations of a single day, ultra performers expand their construct to include value over time. They calculate the longevity, or significance, of a task to determine when and how it should be done.
By pivoting our thinking to consider how long something matters, we can effectively identify how our activities today create more time tomorrow.
Show highlights
In this episode, Rory Vaden and I discuss:
- Why three types of procrastination are destructive
- How ultra performers properly procrastinate to multiply time
- What myths people believe about time management
- Determining your ROTI (return on time invested) to guide decision-making
- Which commonly accepted truths are ignored by ultra performers
- Where to change your perspective and unlock more time
- Three dimensions of the significance calculation
- How to escape the tyranny of urgency
- What it takes to move beyond success and discover significance
- Why it is difficult to delegate
- Using time to buy more time
Quotes
- ”You multiply time by giving yourself the emotional permission to spend time on things today that give you more time tomorrow.”
- “Inaction that results from indulgence is Procrastination. Inaction that results from intention is Patience.”
- “There is no such thing as time management. There is only self-management.”
- “80% done by anyone else is better than 100% done by me.”
- “Success is never owned, it’s only rented. The rent is due every day.”
Resources
- First Things First by Stephen Covey
- Procrastinate on Purpose: 5 Permissions to Multiply Your Time by Rory Vaden
- Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success by Rory Vaden
[specialbox]Special announcement: Aug 28-30 — save the date. Something big is coming. That's all I can say for now, but you'll want to book your ticket to Nashville. More to come soon![/specialbox]
Do you think time management is a myth? What can you do to procrastinate on purpose? Share in the comments
