All we talk about in America, it seems, is how much time we wish we had and how busy we are and “gee- wouldn’t it be great if we had time for X, Y, or Z?” Enter the book 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam. Although not proclaimed as a self-help book, the book’s purpose is to help you think about where you spend your 168 hours- that is, the amount of hours in any given week. Here are Vanderkam’s three arguments:
- Every decision we make to fill our time is a choice. If we truly value something, we should make time for it- after all, we have 168 hours every week to fill with these choices.
- Everyone has “core competencies,” those activities that we love the most and are best at. Our 168 hours should be filled as much as possible with those competencies.
- If we don’t like doing something, we should ignore it, minimize it, or outsource it in order to make time for what we do love.
I liked this book because it was a deliberate practice for
me to think about how I use my time and how I wished I used my time. It also made me think about my "core competencies." Here they are:
- Dancing
- Reading
- Teaching
- Creating- music, cards, scrapbooks, journal entries
- Fostering relationships with family and friends
- Spending time outside at the farm
Luckily for me, I get to do a lot of these things in the
course of a week. I coach dance at least ten hours a week, most of my Saturdays
and a lot of my summers are spent outside at the farm, and Matt and I make
regular trips to Minneapolis and Milwaukee to visit long-distance friends.
But this book also made me think about what time I waste
throughout the day. I’m looking at you, TV and Facebook. All told, I probably
spend two hours a day watching TV and another two on social media websites, if
you add up all the ten minute checks throughout the day. These are definitely activities
I’d like to minimize. And while I think every teacher can agree that work
spills over past the normal hours of the school day, I know I could use my afternoon
prep hour my efficiently. How can I grade and plan more efficiently in order to
save time later?
I love the idea that every hour I have is a choice- if I do
laundry, that is my choice because I value wearing clean clothes and having a
tidy house. If I spend my evening reading, I shouldn’t feel guilty because it
shows I value having a relaxed mindset to tackle the next day of challenges.
Reframed in this way, it makes me much more appreciative of my time and of my
choices.
Why you might like
this book: As I said before, I like that this book made me think
deliberately about how I spend my time and it gave numerous examples of
different people who were able to make time for what they love. It’s inspiring
to think that people have time to build their own business, spend time with
their family, train for a marathon, and volunteer three times a week. I also like
the idea of thinking of my time in terms of weeks, rather than days. Suddenly,
it gives me much more freedom!
Why you might not
like this book: This book is 100% targeted to the privileged. When
Vanderkam argues that you should ignore, minimize, or outsource unwanted tasks,
she assumes that you have a disposable income and can afford to pay for a meal service, weekly maid or even a personal shopper. Although some people I
know might be able to afford these luxuries, a lot of my college friends are
still living paycheck to paycheck and this just isn’t realistic for them. The
author is also a freelance writer in New York City, and sometimes I have a hard time
to relating my Midwestern teaching lifestyle to hers.
I would recommend this
book to: People who feel like they need more time in the day and want to
spend that time doing something they love- I’m looking at you especially, my
twenty-somethings!
To find out how you are spending your 168 hours each week,
download the weekly template here from Laura Vanderkam’s website. It truly is a good practice to see exactly how you are spending your time and how you might adjust it to better align with your passions.
As for me, I plan on continuing to make time for the things
I love and creating memories with the people I cherish most. And finally, although not necessarily mentioned in 168 Hours, I want to express
appreciation for how much time I get to do the things I love- dancing,
teaching, and so on. Although I complain about my work sometimes (after all,
who doesn’t?), I need to remember that I have a choice to partake in those
jobs, and I want to appreciate them for the challenge that they are and be
present in the moment.
Have a wonderful 168 hours this week!
No comments:
Post a Comment