Activities are said to take up the period of time you provide for them. You can potentially take certain activities that normally take you an hour to do, and do them in 15 minutes. This is well within your capacity. You would then be able to spend the other 45 minutes doing whatever you feel like, as you have then created time for yourself which was not previously there.
Tim Ferriss brought up this concept in a video he did with Kevin Rose for his “Random” video series, when he decided to bring up some valuable things he has written down and focuses on. This concept is also present in his book “The Four Hour Workweek”. I am not saying that you can take an hour of piano practice, and do it in 15 minutes; however, there are certainly things you are currently doing that you allot much more time to than they require from you when you are running at full capacity.
Think About The Reward
When trying out something new like this, you always want to first thing about what you will get from the attempt, other than attempt experience. You could potentially create an extra 30 minutes in your day during the first try, or even more. This is time that you could use as though it were “free”, and your leisure desires could be fulfilled. Also, you would start feeling more in control of your required activities, as you would be relaxed to enjoy your free time as any smart CEO or business person makes sure to do.
Focus On Where You Can Set Time Limits
It is worth it to take a look at where you can apply this concept. There are probably multiple examples of where you can start to set less time for yourself to do the same things you normally do. Some that come to mind include:
- running high-intensity for 20 minutes, instead of walking for a whole hour
- setting 20 minutes to read 15 pages of a book, instead of taking an hour to read it while getting distracted and losing focus
- cutting down the time to craft an e-mail to 2 minutes instead of 10 minutes(as the main point you want to communicate is really what is important)
- cooking a healthy dinner in 20 minutes by doing everything one after another, instead of cooking the meal in parts, or stopping along the way to check e-mail
Self-Discipline Is Needed For This
Self-discipline is the name of the game here. Using this time-limiting method requires you to envision a small world where your organization and planning matters. You have to adhere to what you set to do. Any messing around with the time settings will then lead to you not fulfilling your plan. Self-discipline separates the slacker from the attacker.
Self-Confidence Is Built Through This
When you set limited time plans, you are indirectly telling yourself that you value your time. This is something that is important. Other won’t ever value more time more than you do, so you benefit greatly from raising that bar. Everyone’s time passes by, but some have time that is worth far more, in the eyes of society, than others. It is this value that gives them opportunities the others don’t have. If we had limitless time, we could all get every opportunity, but since time is normally a constraint, people like to work with those who value it the most.
There is also a shared effect. The more you value your time, the less others worry that you will waste their time. This is key to working with some folks you may have a real wish to work with.
{ 39 comments… read them below or add one }
Nice work Armen, I picked up 3 important points from that – 1) Setting time limits so to avoid waste. 2) There’s discipline required and acquired in doing it. 3) It’s a demonstration to the self of value.
All incredibly important and so vital to productivity.
.-= Amit Sodha – The Power Of Choice´s last blog ..The Best Kind Of Product Is One You Don’t Need To Sell =-.
Twitter: Armen
February 9, 2010 at 9:40 am
Hi Amit.
Thanks there. I agree with the three points you have taken from this article. The point about setting time limits is something I have a feeling would be looked at as obvious, but it has worked for me to save more time than some not-so-obvious methods, so I might as well point it out. The value point sure is key to me too. If we start building up high value for our time, we turn down anything that seems like it will take from it without returns.
Good to hear from you.
Hey Armen,
I think this is called Parkinson’s Law where you’ll always fill up the time you give yourself to complete a task. If you give yourself three days, it will take you three days to complete it; if you give yourself two weeks, you’ll take two weeks to complete it.
.-= Gordie´s last blog ..Lessons From Customer Services For Life. =-.
Twitter: Armen
February 9, 2010 at 9:42 am
Hi Gordie.
Hey that is a good thing. I had read of this before, but forgot the name, so now I will remember it. It sounds like a hilarious law until it is used, and then the only hilarious thing is that it was not used previously. Thanks for that.
Hey Armen: I really liked this topic and it is probably one I haven’t really thought about enough. I couldn’t agree more though that we have to strategically allocate and utilize our time so that we can make certain the way we are spending our time is aligned with our priorities. The reality is that there are only so many hours in the day and if we are disciplined enough to structure our day, we can do it in a way that allows us to accomplish exactly what we want. Thanks for the insightful post.
.-= Sibyl – alternaview´s last blog ..How to Not Get Caught Up in Life’s Everyday Hustle and Bustle and REALLY Live Better =-.
Twitter: Armen
February 9, 2010 at 8:17 pm
Hi Sibyl.
Thanks about the topic. I have only implemented it a few times, but when I have, I have gotten so much done in a short period of time that it was like I was running at a different rate of Ghz, in terms of computer speeds.
On that point about how we have only so many hours in the day, it reminded me about how Celestine Chua from CelestineChua.com had said that we have as many hours in a day as bigshots have in their day, so it is only how we utilize them that is relevant. It’s not like they have double the time we have.
Thanks for your thoughts.
hmm…. to be honest I never thought how much my self discipline can affect my subconscious and how much value I put on myself. Great Stuff, Armen !
.-= Rocky | R O C K O N O V A.COM´s last blog ..Writing As My Eightfold Path =-.
Twitter: Armen
February 9, 2010 at 8:19 pm
Hi Rocky.
I have to say that my two keywords lately are self-discipline and boldness. If anyone asks what my potential priority words are, they are those two.
That’s a valid point there about the value. The minute you start to assume your time is as valuable as that of a CEO, and start acting like it, you view other times as though you were like a dud in comparison.
Thanks Rocky the big Rock Rockman.
I agree Armen. There are many tasks we can do in less time than we normally give it. . It’s just a matter of changing our beliefs in terms of time-management. If we think it takes 2 hours to accomplish a task, then we will take 2 hours to finish it. If we think we can finish a task in 45 minutes, then we will find a way to finish the task in 45 minutes.
.-= Hulbert´s last blog ..5 Ways to Deal with Dramatic People =-.
Twitter: Armen
February 9, 2010 at 9:27 pm
Hi Hulbert.
This is true. Our minds respond well to controlled pressure. When we set a time limit, we start to process ways we can optimize our effort, or combine portions, or so on. There are usually many ways to do things in a quicker fashion than we normally do them, but we need some pressure on ourselves to bring those methods to light. No pressure = no impetus to put out effort.
Good to hear from you.
Twitter: marcwinitz
February 9, 2010 at 9:51 pm
This seems like a good approach to use for lower value tasks so you invest in yourself the time saved into higher value initiatives.//Marc
Twitter: Armen
February 9, 2010 at 11:14 pm
Hi Marc.
That’s a reasonable way to make use of this. I think that is a good separating point that I had not thought of. Items that are not the main deal are worth approaching this way, and then the main deal can be approached with a regular time allotment.
For example, a musician could use this method to e-mail and connect with 10 other musicians in one hour, giving 6 minutes to each e-mail, and then spend as much time as needed working on a new song.
Twitter: marcwinitz
February 9, 2010 at 11:41 pm
I had not thought of it either until I read your post and realized I am doing this now. Your example is a good representation. I think the important thing is to not focus on specific time intervals but just recognize what you can do in less time (or set a limit of time) so you have more time for more important things that require more time.//Marc
.-= Marc | Black Belt Guide´s last blog ..Mind Pushups – Understanding Focus =-.
Twitter: Armen
February 11, 2010 at 1:13 pm
Yeah. I’d say a part of it is about the time limit causing distractions to be more terrible in nature, and then a part of it is about the time limit causing our brain to look for a simpler method to fit it into the duration. It is sort of like how electricity takes the shortest path possible, but if there is a resistance placed in that short path, it will then take another path. We can create that resistance with self-discipline so that the new path is more rewarding.
You’re really banging them out this year Armen. Love this one too. And yeah it does require discipline but it is very smugly rewarding when you manage to do it and even better when steadily using this principle becomes a habit.
Twitter: Armen
February 10, 2010 at 9:22 am
Hi Coach Rosie.
Thanks about the writing. I like putting out more of my ideas and reflections.
That’s true about those two degrees of using it. Using it occasionally is as you just described it, and turning it into a habit is what a few who we see as the winners have done. I assume doing it for enough days in a row would make it a habit. I will keep that in mind for potential future usage.
I am a big believer in focus and keeping the purpose of your goal or activity in mind. I really like the way you’ve talked about putting a time limit with the focus. That is something I will try for some of my activities today.
An idea that goes hand in hand with this post is something I call the “Inner Commitment Question,” which is the headliner on my blog.
Twitter: Armen
February 10, 2010 at 9:24 am
Hi David.
Keeping it in mind, or keeping our eye on the ball, is something that is worth a lot. Thanks about the time limit concept. It is hard to imagine you coming back and saying “it didn’t work”. It is possible, though.
That commitment concept sure does go with this, because the commitment to self must be maintained for the limit to have value. We have to not break the deal we set.
The book outliers takes a really hard and good look into what highly successful people do to master their craft. The book argued that it takes about 10,000 hours or about 10 years to master a skill. However, I think the point here that Armin is trying to make is to refine and cut out all the useless, pointless, unproductive things to get down the most essential things needed to get something done in less time. There is nothing wrong with that. It’s about creating time to create mastery and narrow down to the most essential.
Twitter: Armen
February 10, 2010 at 10:15 am
Hi Josue.
Outliers sure does provide some cool details about that skill mastering.
That certainly does relate to the message of the article, as most of those useless items get naturally cut out when we set time limits, and we end up focusing on the time constraint, as opposed to the need to cut those out.
Thanks for the added points.
Armen,
AS you know I’m a big believer in using time limits. AS you might remember, I try to limit the time I spend on each blog post to 20 minutes. To some people that probably sounds insane, but I think enforced time limits allows to sometimes produce our best work. Given the nature of the internet and the distractions, I think you’re spot on here.
Twitter: Armen
February 10, 2010 at 10:45 am
Hi Srinivas.
I sure do know about that. Your example there about setting 20 minutes to write a post is exactly on point with the message here, and I had seen your article about that as well. There was a time when I would write an article every day before midnight, so I would finish them in about 25 minutes every day for about 2 months. It worked very well, and some great material came out of it.
One thing for folks to remember is that the idea that quality will diminish must be cleared from your mind. When you take action, you take it at some point, and setting time limits moves those points closer to now.
Good material Srini.
To do just that (Set Less Time To Do What You Want To Do), it’s a process that many of us have to learn and execute. I think it can be done fine over a period of time.
.-= Moon Hussain´s last blog ..eHow Report #3: Proof That Passive Income Exists =-.
Twitter: Armen
February 11, 2010 at 9:35 am
Hi Moon.
That is true. Although this process doesn’t apply to all actions, it certainly has worked for me and a few others at times.
Hey,
This is an excellent post. I agree with that it really is just our own mindset. If we believe something takes 3 hours to complete, it generally will take that long to complete. It’s all perspective. Thank you for this excellent post on productivity.
Twitter: Armen
February 11, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Hi Baker.
Thanks about the post. Our mindset sure can be a limiting reagent in the process. If we plan 2 hours to fix something, it can take 2 hours, while if we plan 30 minutes for it, we are then pressured to find a quicker way to fix it.
Baker cookin’ it up here.
Hey Armen – Time limits have always proven intimidating to me and I’m currently working on using them to my advantage. I used to spend hours on creating posts as without a time limit, I had nothing to force me to finish the article. This led to constant revisions and re-writes, sometimes lasting over a period of a few days.
But while I’m unable to put together a post in 20 minutes (such as Srinivas mentioned), I’m working on getting to that point and slowly, time limits are proving to be effective tools in my life that lead to increased productivity and efficiency.
.-= Earl´s last blog ..Guest Post at Quest4Balance.com! =-.
Twitter: Armen
February 11, 2010 at 1:10 pm
Hi Earl.
They sure are intimidating. When we hit a time limit that we personally set, we start to wonder if we can just break our own rule. Then, it is like a mental battle as to whether to maintain our rule or adjust it, when adjustment would not be doable in real circumstances. We always have to assume that what we are doing relates to real circumstances, and then that makes it a real circumstance.
That point about 20 minute posts is worth reiterating. Some of you folks might be reading about it here, and thinking it is crazy, and that post quality will diminish, but you will want to try it once to check out how it changes your use of time. A lot of things sound ridiculous until they are tried, and then the only thing that is ridiculous is that they were not tried sooner.
Twitter: ryanbiddulph
February 12, 2010 at 10:42 am
Excellent post Armen.
An alarm clock is a successful person’s best friend. Use it early and often. I find it amusing that I set the alarm clock today for the first time in months. I usually wake by 8:30AM but felt like I was not working efficiently enough recently. It’s 1:40PM now and I’ve meditated, had my daily walk, and have worked for 4 hours already.
It’s amazing how work expands to fill the time we allow for it.
.-= Ryan´s last blog ..Super Quick Lesson in SEO =-.
Twitter: Armen
February 12, 2010 at 1:20 pm
Hi Ryan.
Thanks there about the post. I like to be excellent at times. This is good.
You are right about alarm clock usage. I have used one at times, and benefited from it. Why I don’t always use one is boggling to me, but it is probably because I want to impress myself by not needing one, which is not that valuable. Trying to impress others, or even ourselves, is usually not that useful.
We are on the same page here.
“Time and tide waits for none.” To manage your own time you need not have to consult a time manager. It should be at your own hand.
Twitter: Armen
February 15, 2010 at 4:20 pm
Hi Marilyn.
Valid quote there. If time waited, I’m pretty sure we would lose some of our drive, so maybe it is a good thing that it doesn’t.
Things that we don’t see as in our hands might as well be untouchable.
Man, this is tremendous advice and something I’m practicing more and more. The only thing is that when you finish doing a task, the best thing to do is rewarding activities rather than checking emails and related things.
Twitter: Armen
February 22, 2010 at 1:14 am
Hi Oscar.
Thanks about the message here. I have a feeling you are putting this to good use. That point there about rewarding after activities sure is one that seems obvious, but I or others leave it out at times, and then the cycle of effort diminishes because there was no zone of pleasure. Good addition there.
Mate, this is good advice. I refer to the technique as TIME BOXING
.-= jonny´s last blog ..How To Have The Journey Of Your Life – Your Destination, Roadmap and Vehicle For Achieving Your Dreams. =-.
Twitter: Armen
February 25, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Hi Jonny.
That is true about it as time-boxing as well. I forgot where I saw that first, but it might have been from David Allen’s “Getting Things Done”.
This is solid advice, Armen. When I have to prepare a presentation or lecture, I make sure that I don’t start with the task too long beforehand, because I know that I will automatically spend more time on it (as I know I have more time to spend). However, I think this technique only works for common tasks or routines, because you need to know (more or less) how long it’s going to take you to finish them. Good read. I look forward to more of you.
.-= Bart´s last blog ..Failure Is The Path To Success =-.
Twitter: Armen
February 25, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Hi Bart.
Thanks there. That is a smart move that you use to keep the time you spend on those in a limited amount. Our minds just go for occupying whatever time they are allowed without much effort.
It might only work for common tasks. Someone else mentioned that to me as well. There are some tasks it can’t work for, but it is useful otherwise. Good to hear from you.
This was a great article. I learned a lot from those three ideas. I like the idea of setting a shorter time limit because sometimes when i set a long time limit i get distracted and end up going over the time limit thinking i still have a lot of time left and i don’t. Thank you for sharing these ideas.