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How do you guys even manage your time/energy?

marcof_23

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Hey,

I’ve noticed something.

Most people are EXHAUSTED & OVERWHELMED by the demands of modern, Scripted life. My mom, for example, struggles with 80-90-hour workweeks, barely gets 1-2 hours of sleep at night, and can’t contribute around the house on weekends because she’s too tired, & she & my dad end up passing out on the couch watching Netflix & sleeping all weekend because they’re too tired to do anything.

I’m no better, though. While I work a 40-hour week & go to the gym & groom myself every week, I spend my weekends mostly masturbating, pacing, watching the NFL, & playing basketball because I’m mentally exhausted by the demands of my work week. As well as having to take care of myself food-wise because my parents are too tired to do so. And I’m extremely lazy with regards to getting anything for myself. I also have a weakness in that it takes me extremely long to do basic tasks (e.g. brushing & flossing my teeth takes 20-25 minutes, eating a meal can take me 30-45 minutes, & I spend 45-60 minutes per trip to the toilet pooping because I have mild constipation issues).

Meanwhile, you guys can seemingly work 100-120 hours per week & get on just fine & still stay on top of everything else.

Also, all 3 of us (my parents & I) are commuters in Toronto (commutes like L.A.).

How do you do it? Do you guys have any time management tips, tricks, etc.? Any “secret substances”? Note that I don’t have or make a lot of money right now, so I’d need a “broke people’s guide to getting as much time out of your day as you can”.
 
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lewj24

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80-90-hour workweeks

I don't think anybody can make it out of the rat race if they had to work this many hours for someone else. You have no time to do anything outside of work. The only option is to quit and start working less hours somewhere else. In my opinion the max you should work for someone else is 56 hours per week or 8 hours per day. That gives you some time after work to figure something out. 80 to 90 is insane. You are automatically trapping yourself before you start your first day of work.

I bet she probably feels like she has to work that hard because of all the bills. Which I bet are way too high (could be wrong). But I'm probably not wrong because 80 hours per week at $10 an hour is $40k per year not including your dads pay. Sounds like they got a high standard of living and don't want to cut back.

You on the other hand sound like you just need to get your act together. It's easy to judge you negatively for what you say you do with your time (and I'm not perfect by any means) but goddamn brushing and flossing take 25 minutes and it takes you 60 minutes to take a shit!? Dude brushing and flossing take me 5 minutes (probably, I've never actually timed it) and shitting should take 20 minutes tops if your reading a book in the process. You just need to get some hustle. Get a fire under your a$$. Sounds like you got nothing else to do so you don't care how long it takes.

Look man, you aren't giving any respect to your most valuable asset. Your time. More valuable than all the money in the world combined. Start using it more wisely. Go faster.
 

minivanman

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Sounds like you are stuck in a rut. What excites you? ..... besides porn..... Speaking of, if brushing your teeth takes 25 minutes I can only guess at how long you watch porn...... :eek:
 
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marcof_23

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Sounds like you are stuck in a rut. What excites you? ..... besides porn..... Speaking of, if brushing your teeth takes 25 minutes I can only guess at how long you watch porn...... :eek:
Bro if this isn't a rhetorical question, things that excite me include playing basketball, playing football, going outside on a warm, sunny day in general, driving cars very fast, writing, meeting hot girls, meditating, lifting weights at the gym, martial arts (particularly heavy bag workouts), sprinting, talking to people that can actually help me get somewhere in life, hip-hop music, reliving happier days in my childhood/adolescence, imagining what my life would look like had I made better decisions, optimizing my life, meditating, and just taking time to chill out and do absolutely nothing.

Problem is, the way my work schedule (and salary) works, I basically feel like I'm in survival mode all the time. If I'm not working, I feel like I'm recovering from or getting ready for work. I honestly haven't felt truly excited by anything since I took a month of to have fun after my university graduation, and I had to dig deep inside my memories to remember what excites me. Because I feel like I'm either working or trying to manage my responsibilities or trying to recover from/get ready for work, I can't remember the last time I did something just for the joy of it. And I can't really afford to spend time doing what really excites me on my salary with how expensive everything is. So I have to make it that anything I do that's "not work" is something I can do for free that's either at home or close to home. I always say to myself, "I want to play," because I always feel like I'm working or trying to numb myself from work. I feel like I'm always "on the go."

And just when I think that life is about to get better for me, something always comes up, be it an injury, me getting sick, things around the house getting tough & me having to come through for my family, intensification of the low mood I generally feel, etc. It's like a curse that I have: I can never be truly free, & something will always happen to sabotage that. It's just the way my life works.
 

marcof_23

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It sounds like you have no ambition at the moment. If you know what the f*ck you want, you'll find the time.

I'm near Toronto if you want to chat/do some site visits for my business to see how it's done.

I feel like I'm in survival mode with my life; at this point, I don't really care about anything else other than getting through each day and taking care of my basic needs.

This brings up another question... how do you get out of survival mode mentally? Do you know what it's like to be in survival mode psychologically, and if so, do you have tips for me on how to get out of that?
 

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  • Simplify, simplify, simplify
  • Reduce your decision fatigue
  • Meditate, pray, "prime", exercise and set the right intentions in the morning
  • Avoid the news and getting caught up in outrage porn
  • Avoid the comparison trap
  • Trust the process and race you set for yourself!
 
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StompingAcorns

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How do you do it? Do you guys have any time management tips, tricks, etc.? Any “secret substances”? Note that I don’t have or make a lot of money right now, so I’d need a “broke people’s guide to getting as much time out of your day as you can”.

First, thanks for posting. It's a good step.

I read your posts, and all I hear is
I can't, because...
I can't, because...
I can't, because...

What CAN you do? Write us a post and talk about what you can do. What you're willing to do. No matter how small. Can you spend 5 minutes a day making a list of every single thing you're grateful for? Will you? Can you spend 30 minutes listening, watching, or reading something inspirational? Will you? Can you spend 15 minutes a day making life easier for your parents? Can you jot down 3 problems you see each day that need solving? Etc. You get to choose what those actions are, but choose CAN and focus on that.

There are no secrets. There are no tricks. Welcome to life. It's called...develop thyself and thee shall thrive. Start small and go from there. I say small, because you have so many limiting beliefs that your first task is to understand how to manage your mind. The above exercise will get you started.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 

lewj24

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Bro if this isn't a rhetorical question, things that excite me include playing basketball, playing football, going outside on a warm, sunny day in general, driving cars very fast, writing, meeting hot girls, meditating, lifting weights at the gym, martial arts (particularly heavy bag workouts), sprinting, talking to people that can actually help me get somewhere in life, hip-hop music, reliving happier days in my childhood/adolescence, imagining what my life would look like had I made better decisions, optimizing my life, meditating, and just taking time to chill out and do absolutely nothing.

Problem is, the way my work schedule (and salary) works, I basically feel like I'm in survival mode all the time. If I'm not working, I feel like I'm recovering from or getting ready for work. I honestly haven't felt truly excited by anything since I took a month of to have fun after my university graduation, and I had to dig deep inside my memories to remember what excites me. Because I feel like I'm either working or trying to manage my responsibilities or trying to recover from/get ready for work, I can't remember the last time I did something just for the joy of it. And I can't really afford to spend time doing what really excites me on my salary with how expensive everything is. So I have to make it that anything I do that's "not work" is something I can do for free that's either at home or close to home. I always say to myself, "I want to play," because I always feel like I'm working or trying to numb myself from work. I feel like I'm always "on the go."

And just when I think that life is about to get better for me, something always comes up, be it an injury, me getting sick, things around the house getting tough & me having to come through for my family, intensification of the low mood I generally feel, etc. It's like a curse that I have: I can never be truly free, & something will always happen to sabotage that. It's just the way my life works.

Dude. Welcome to the adult world. This is how it is. You can't be a kid forever.

Everything you said that excites you excites everyone else too, but they have to work and pay bills. Like Adults.

Sounds like you enjoyed the party life on someone else's dime. And now the party's over and you have to foot the bill and you're having a tough time transitioning.

It's like a curse that I have: I can never be truly free, & something will always happen to sabotage that. It's just the way my life works.

Damn dude. You have a curse?? Your life is sabotaged? Get over yourself. Your mindset is ridiculous. You are the only one in your way. Stop taking hour long shits and start getting some actual shit done. Maybe try to build a business that gives you the freedom you crave so much??
 
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B. Cole

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Hey,

I’ve noticed something.

Most people are EXHAUSTED & OVERWHELMED by the demands of modern, Scripted life. My mom, for example, struggles with 80-90-hour workweeks, barely gets 1-2 hours of sleep at night, and can’t contribute around the house on weekends because she’s too tired, & she & my dad end up passing out on the couch watching Netflix & sleeping all weekend because they’re too tired to do anything.

I’m no better, though. While I work a 40-hour week & go to the gym & groom myself every week, I spend my weekends mostly masturbating, pacing, watching the NFL, & playing basketball because I’m mentally exhausted by the demands of my work week. As well as having to take care of myself food-wise because my parents are too tired to do so. And I’m extremely lazy with regards to getting anything for myself. I also have a weakness in that it takes me extremely long to do basic tasks (e.g. brushing & flossing my teeth takes 20-25 minutes, eating a meal can take me 30-45 minutes, & I spend 45-60 minutes per trip to the toilet pooping because I have mild constipation issues).

Meanwhile, you guys can seemingly work 100-120 hours per week & get on just fine & still stay on top of everything else.

Also, all 3 of us (my parents & I) are commuters in Toronto (commutes like L.A.).

How do you do it? Do you guys have any time management tips, tricks, etc.? Any “secret substances”? Note that I don’t have or make a lot of money right now, so I’d need a “broke people’s guide to getting as much time out of your day as you can”.

Don’t take this with malicious intent, it’s going to be blunt but hopefully helpful -

I don’t know that you need time managent skills, because other than going to your 40 hour job, you don’t seem to have anything to manage. You haven’t committed your mind to anything worth doing (except sh*tting - this is definitely worth doing). You don’t have a direction.

Ask yourself what you want. If it is wealth, love, freedom or anything else, define it, and define why you want it. Get a notebook, write it down. It will be the Island that you keep your compass pointing toward.

Start figuring out how you can get there. The journey to get there should excite you and replace basketball and NFL as your primary past time (it’s grown men playing catch and running from each other, should that be more exciting than your own future?). Use your old activities for brain breaks, not main attractions.

Walking the path won’t be painful, it will be an adventure, with many points to celebrate along the way. Find other people on a similar path, collaborate and use their successes to motivate you. Always remember - hour long sh*ts and masturbation did not get them there.

Motivation is an up and down thing. The reason “why” won’t work for you some of these days, but then someone on a similar path that you are watching has a success, and it puts a fire under you. Then that wears off, and one of your own efforts create a small success, and you get another fire. You find a quote from a person you look up to that lights the fire again, and the cycle continues, fire and rain, fire and rain, over and over until eventually, you look back and where you started is a long way off. And by now, your adjusted goal is bigger and further away, so your current success is the catalyst for another round of motivation toward that.

Hope this helps. It’s pretty much how it has worked for me anyway. Heed the quote in my signature, it should ring very hard with you.
 
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minivanman

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Well, I guess there's no way out. Give me your address and I'll send you a fleshlight. Might as well do what you like doing best.

I remember when I worked 120+ hours a WEEK at Burger King (over 480 hours a MONTH). I found time to have a girlfriend and go bike riding (which is what I really loved to do)..... and girlfriend's take up a lot of time. Actually, I had 2 girlfriends but don't tell anyone. Could I have easily rode my bicycle home (7 miles) and went to sleep and did nothing else? Sure I coulda. I LOVE to sleep. I was taking a 20 minute nap earlier and hit the snooze for another 9 minutes. You just gotta say.... now is the time, today, right this second. Don't wait any longer to get yourself going. Or..... wait until tomorrow and then once tomorrow gets here.... you can wait for tomorrow......
 
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MetalGear

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First, thanks for posting. It's a good step.

I read your posts, and all I hear is
I can't, because...
I can't, because...
I can't, because...

What CAN you do?

THIS. Playing to win is NOT the same thing as playing to not lose. Different focus
 

Jeff InfoPreneur

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Hey,

I’ve noticed something.

Most people are EXHAUSTED & OVERWHELMED by the demands of modern, Scripted life. My mom, for example, struggles with 80-90-hour workweeks, barely gets 1-2 hours of sleep at night, and can’t contribute around the house on weekends because she’s too tired, & she & my dad end up passing out on the couch watching Netflix & sleeping all weekend because they’re too tired to do anything.

I’m no better, though. While I work a 40-hour week & go to the gym & groom myself every week, I spend my weekends mostly masturbating, pacing, watching the NFL, & playing basketball because I’m mentally exhausted by the demands of my work week. As well as having to take care of myself food-wise because my parents are too tired to do so. And I’m extremely lazy with regards to getting anything for myself. I also have a weakness in that it takes me extremely long to do basic tasks (e.g. brushing & flossing my teeth takes 20-25 minutes, eating a meal can take me 30-45 minutes, & I spend 45-60 minutes per trip to the toilet pooping because I have mild constipation issues).

Meanwhile, you guys can seemingly work 100-120 hours per week & get on just fine & still stay on top of everything else.

Also, all 3 of us (my parents & I) are commuters in Toronto (commutes like L.A.).

How do you do it? Do you guys have any time management tips, tricks, etc.? Any “secret substances”? Note that I don’t have or make a lot of money right now, so I’d need a “broke people’s guide to getting as much time out of your day as you can”.

You gotta find that work thing that excites you...that gives you purpose in your work life...it could be a cause, a market, a role (ex people who love to sell or coach or teach), or it could be a result (business equity to hand to your kids)...when you find that, the 14-16-hour days become much easier -- in fact, I purposely have to ensure I MAKE time for other things or to combine important people and activity into my business activity because I enjoy it so much.
 
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Ecom man

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I’m going to take a little bit different approach here. Assuming you actually spend an hour on the toilet multiple times a day... that equals multiple hours of opportunity a day. We have the internet with us while we sit on the pot. Use that hour and watch a few YouTube videos on something business related. Then find a related one. Then another. Most YouTube videos are 15-30 minutes so everytime you poop you can watch 2-4 videos and learn something.

I find some awesome ideas while sitting on the toilet or laying in bed at night when the house is quiet. I’ve currently got 6 other tabs open on my mobile browser and every one of them is business related. In the last 24 hours I’ve researched conversion rate optimization, Shopify product page optimization, best practices for AdWords campaigns, best way to set up google shopping, best way to set up bing shopping, and many more. So you know when I read every single one of those articles? While on the toilet or while laying in bed.

In our modern society you could be bedridden and become a millionaire by simply researching and learning about things online.

The question is... will you do it?
 

AgainstAllOdds

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You don't have to work 100-120 hours a week. Not even 40 hours. Just the bare minimum to meet your goals.

I'll bet my a$$ that 95% of this forum doesn't do more than 20 hours of hard work a week. I don't think most of society does - even if they're sitting "at work" for 60 hours.

Figure out what you want in life. It sounds like you want to relax and chill. Nothing wrong with that. Then figure out how much money you need to relax and chill. Then invest a lot of time upfront learning a skillset that will allow you to hit those monetary goals. Then just invest the bare minimum into that goal once you have the skills.

Let's say you need $1,000 a week to live your lifestyle. Learn to program. Up your skills from $25 an hour to $100 an hour. Work 10 hours a week. Do whatever you want the rest of the time.

The 4 Hour Work Week is a good book to shift your mindset.
 

Andy Black

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Wait till you have kids. You’ll look back at now and wonder what you did with all that time.

You’ll also reread all the things that excite you and realise that they’re all about yourself.

So a couple of things:

1) We all have the same hours in the day and no-one can speed up or slow down time. Time management is a myth. When you tell your mum you’ve didn’t have time to do something, you’re really saying it wasn’t important enough for you to do. It’s all about prioritisation.

2) You don’t seem to have a strong enough Why yet? Maybe go help some random folks and see if that gives you a buzz.
 
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GuestUser4aMPs1

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Note that I don’t have or make a lot of money right now, so I’d need a “broke people’s guide to getting as much time out of your day as you can”.

Looking at your profile, you sound a lot like how I was a few years ago.

I'll address your original question,
and provide ways to fix it in order of how I've implemented it.

1: Figure out the minimum # of hours needed to work to cover living expenses
2: Get a job closer to where you live so you don't have to commute.
3: Move out so your parents aren't a mental drain (and to reinvent yourself)
4: Do ANYTHING to get practice in business.
5: Figure out what activities give you energy, do those when you're tired.

This is roughly what I did between 18-20 before landing on a business that works. There's good advice in this thread, but something incredible happens when you do #3 and #4 that hasn't been addressed, and I'll tell you why.

I'd wager the reason you feel exhausted is lack of control.

Learned Helplessness.

I bet that feeling NEVER existed 4 years ago, did it?

You've faced small defeat after small defeat, and eventually settled for your mediocre existence of working an entry level position at the accounting firm, sucking at it, shitting for hours and being perpetually exhausted.

Since we're talking about getting your TIME and ENERGY back,
I'll tell you that Moving Out was the best thing I've done to do so.

You specifically mentioned that your parents were a mental drain.
That they discourage your desire to become an entrepreneur.

So was mine, and the first thing I noticed after moving was how much free time there was...because you have rid yourself of the MENTAL DRAIN and have REGAINED CONTROL of your existence.

There's a lot of ways people rationalize this away, such as...
"They're trying to do what's best for you."
"They're trying to protect you."
"They love you."

F that. The battle is won or lost in the mind, and if their presence is a mental hindrance to you regaining control of your life and making progress, then you need to grow up, break away, chart your own path. This is your only life.

Next, you mentioned how you were incompetent at your job. Same here.
Hated the job and the dysfunctional organization that came with it.

There's something incredible that happens when you become an entrepreneur. YOU take ownership of your position more than you could have ever done in your previous position as an employee.

Why?
Because YOUR name is on the line. The stakes are higher.

...and for that reason, I've had
MORE energy, MORE time, and MORE Competence
as an entrepreneur that I ever did as an employee...

Because I OWN what I do.

I don't know what your current aspirations are, but if you're really interested in business than do something, TODAY, that will get you closer to making your own money.

There's a study cited in Unscripted . The conclusions being that the largest determining factor of happiness is having control over your own destiny.

I'll add that since a large part of your time living will inevitably be working,
a big part of that happiness will be correlated to your ability to make your own dough, or at least engaging in something you are competent.

So, I don't know what it'll take for you to change.
But please don't be a disappointment to your younger self.

edit: Also, read this. Don't be this guy. Be afraid to be this guy.
 
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Andy Black

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Looking at your profile, you sound a lot like how I was a few years ago.

I'll address your original question,
and provide ways to fix it in order of how I've implemented it.

1: Figure out the minimum # of hours needed to work to cover living expenses
2: Get a job closer to where you live so you don't have to commute.
3: Move out so your parents aren't a mental drain (and to reinvent yourself)
4: Do ANYTHING to get practice in business.
5: Figure out what activities give you energy, do those when you're tired.

This is roughly what I did between 18-20 before landing on a business that works. There's good advice in this thread, but something incredible happens when you do #3 and #4 that hasn't been addressed, and I'll tell you why.

I'd wager the reason you feel exhausted is lack of control.

Learned Helplessness.

I bet that feeling NEVER existed 4 years ago, did it?

You've faced small defeat after small defeat, and eventually settled for your mediocre existence of working an entry level position at the accounting firm, sucking at it, sh*tting for hours and being perpetually exhausted.

Since we're talking about getting your TIME and ENERGY back,
I'll tell you that Moving Out was the best thing I've done to do so.

You specifically mentioned that your parents were a mental drain.
That they discourage your desire to become an entrepreneur.

So was mine, and the first thing I noticed after moving was how much free time there was...because you have rid yourself of the MENTAL DRAIN and have REGAINED CONTROL of your existence.

There's a lot of ways people rationalize this away, such as...
"They're trying to do what's best for you."
"They're trying to protect you."
"They love you."

F that. The battle is won or lost in the mind, and if their presence is a mental hindrance to you regaining control of your life and making progress, then you need to grow up, break away, chart your own path. This is your only life.

Next, you mentioned how you were incompetent at your job. Same here.
Hated the job and the dysfunctional organization that came with it.

There's something incredible that happens when you become an entrepreneur. YOU take ownership of your position more than you could have ever done in your previous position as an employee.

Why?
Because YOUR name is on the line. The stakes are higher.

...and for that reason, I've had
MORE energy, MORE time, and MORE Competence
as an entrepreneur that I ever did as an employee...

Because I OWN what I do.

I don't know what your current aspirations are, but if you're really interested in business than do something, TODAY, that will get you closer to making your own money.

There's a study cited in Unscripted . The conclusions being that the largest determining factor of happiness is having control over your own destiny.

I'll add that since a large part of your time living will inevitably be working,
a big part of that happiness will be correlated to your ability to make your own dough, or at least engaging in something you are competent.

So, I don't know what it'll take for you to change.
But please don't be a disappointment to your younger self.

edit: Also, read this. Don't be this guy. Be afraid to be this guy.
Rep+

Just goes to show that sometimes the best advice is from someone who’s recently been in your position.


Good point about observing what gives you energy and what doesn’t. I’ve forgotten the importance of that. It’s a good indicator of what to delegate, outsource, or avoid, and what to throw yourself into.
 

eliquid

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eliquid

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I spend my weekends mostly masturbating, pacing, watching the NFL

I had to laugh about this.

Your asking how we do it, get it all done... but this is how you spend your weekends.

If you connect the dots a bit more, you can prob see how we do it. A lot of us are not spending our weekends watching the NFL, pacing, or masterbating.

.
 

eliquid

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Meanwhile, you guys can seemingly work 100-120 hours per week & get on just fine & still stay on top of everything else.

I can't speak for others on this forum, but I can tell you this...

A lot of people working 100-120 hours per week ARE NOT getting on just fine in their life. A lot of them are not on top of everything.

Those people that say they are, are more than likely telling a lie. If some are, they might be the 1 or 2 unicorns.

The fact is, you think people are doing this 100-120 hours consistently and are just fine and on top of everything, but 95% of the time.. this is not so.

.
 

eliquid

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I’d need a “broke people’s guide to getting as much time out of your day as you can”

Excluding any mental issues ( like depression )..

1. You need a to plan your days/time/goals out
2. You need to prioritize
3. You gonna have to sacrifice something. Lots of times, it's a lot of somethings

Read:
LeanVertising.com – How To Accomplish Your Dream Life, Part 1
LeanVertising.com – How To Accomplish Your Dream Life, Part 2
LeanVertising.com – How To Accomplish Your Dream Life, Part 3
LeanVertising.com – How To Accomplish Your Dream Life, Part 4
LeanVertising.com – How To Accomplish Your Dream Life, Part 5
LeanVertising.com – How To Accomplish Your Dream Life, Wrap Up

And then read:
Not Fulfilled? Depressed? Maybe You Need An Alignment

.
 
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TreyAllDay

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I like the @eliquid thread "Maybe you need an alignment."

It sounds like maybe you need to clarify what your purpose is first and foremost, and the rest falls into place.

As far as time management - I focus heavily on planning, writing things down, and prioritizing. You really just need to write things down in order to have a plan, can't stress it enough. Even decisions and clarifying purpose - write it down, write it down, write it down.

Time management: I realized that WRITING DOWN what you want to complete and a deadline, removing distractions, and just doing it typically works. And when I slack, I refer back to my purpose and re-energize.

I 1000% believe in the rule (can't recall the name) that your work speed will actually slow down and speed up to fill whatever deadline you give yourself. I've completed weeks of work in a day when I set a deadline, and vice versa, when it slows down and deadlines are far away, I somehow fill the time almost always.
 

NaPal

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Parents = needs to get news jobs if they're working more than 40 hours a week. But they won't... My dad is locked into this as well. It's not your life so you can't make the choice for them.

You = Focus on what's important and bench all the little stuff. Is it more important to start a business or take a poo? You get my gist.

If you don't have kids ----- YOU HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD!
EXCEPT.........
you won't realize this until you actually have kids.
 

Bekit

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I'm at the beginning of this journey. And I hear you about being puzzled and pretty much mystified about how other people do it. How do you break out of the trap of the scripted life in the slow lane? It can seem like an utter impossibility.

10 months ago, I was working a full-time job that required more than full-time hours, and like your job, it left me fried and useless after my work was done. (Also in common: My parents don't have a wealthy mentality, and I also take inordinate amounts of time to do simple things, which is hard for other people to comprehend. Not as much as you, but still...I'm slower than most people at common tasks, even while being academically bright.)

Anyway, I got fed up with the dead-end job where I was. I took a risk: I paid a lot of money to become an apprentice to a well-known copywriter. The apprenticeship started with a live event in a different city. I was sitting there at the event, and the copywriter guy started talking about mindset. He pointed out that 90% of the game was winning the mental battle. And he asked the group to list all of our obstacles.

People listed all sorts of stuff, but for me, it was lack of time. How was I supposed to have the time and energy to develop this whole new line of work on my own? How did other people manage to do it? How were there enough hours in the day? It just didn't make sense. Work for me was a matter of survival. I couldn't just quit my job. And I don't function well on lack of sleep.

Our trainer started addressing all the objections people had listed, and I was still sitting there, my eyes filled with frustrated tears at the impossibility of expanding time. But when he got to that one, he simply asked this:

"OK, lack of time. Does everyone have 24 hours in the day?" Of course we nodded.

"Then you have enough time." And he crossed off that item from the chart and went on to the next one.

I was too choked up at that moment to voice an objection without betraying my emotions, but I've given a lot of thought to that statement over the last 10 months. I've also read The Big Leap, which explores the concept that you have enough time to do everything you really want to do.

And I've thought about how...
...kings and presidents still only have 24 hours a day to rule a whole country, and I can't even rule my own life in 24 hours a day?
...But they get to delegate, and I don't get to delegate because I can't pay anyone yet...
...so how do I get to the point where I have the available funds to pay other people to do some of the stuff that's on my plate?

Obviously, it's NOT by going the route that my parents (or yours) took.

It requires a different approach. A different mindset. Playing by a completely different set of rules. (Which is why I'm in this forum... I'm hoping some of this will rub off on me.)

And it really does require you to get the highest-leverage activity possible out of every available minute of your time. Watching NFL? That gives you Zero return. If you look back at your nights and weekends, if you're honest with yourself, you have to admit, "If I had time to do *these* things, that says something about what I "really want" to do with my time." So can you redefine that? Can you put in place the things that will really matter in at least SOME of that time?

For me, choosing copywriting was related to looking around the marketplace, matching my current skills with the available opportunities, and picking the work activity that came with the highest margins. Can you get a bigger reward for a smaller amount of time?

A valuable shorthand, once you've picked something with high margins, is, "Can I produce more?" If you're a valuable producer, you'll never struggle with your income. At least, that is the hope. (Said by one who is still in the early stages of the journey - still hacking my productivity and addressing my mental roadblocks and confused about all the nuts and bolts... but willing to be patient and keep pressing forward on the journey as hard as humanly possible. Because no offense, but I DON'T want to end up like your mom.)

All the best!
 
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ZF Lee

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A lot of people working 100-120 hours per week ARE NOT getting on just fine in their life. A lot of them are not on top of everything.
Now to think of it, to assume that more time will solve the lack of time to do stuff is just about as wrong as hoping more money will solve money problems.

I was doing some revision for my upcoming exams next week(ugh), and I looked at my timetable, and I realised that I just needed to put in 2-3 hours a day.

I saw some spots to do some networking, go for a local Quora meetup (yay!) and salvage my freelancing (meh).

I think some folks do work late nights because of the solace and the different state of mind your brains sets in during that time.
 

unaided

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Work in spurts, we naturally wax and wane with creative energy, save the laborious, repetitive tasks for when you're lowest with creative energy. You're spending extra time with hygiene because it's a subconscious avoidance/prepping for the other work - mainly mental exhaustion and its own form of procrastination. I say that because I see myself taking longer than I need for labor-intensive things like accounting/grocery shopping etc. It's really a form of mental clearing while doing something "productive". We're human - think of yourself like a battery. You need to be recharged and primed consistently. You do that with diet, sleep, exercise, stretching, meditation, chunked work, Pomodoro-type work. You also drain batteries with things like masturbation, porn, video games etc, these are dopamine-centered activities. Dopamine is also important for forcus - so those things are stealing hormonal resources. When you feel fulfilled by a walk, hike, sitting in the sun for 20-25 minutes, etc, then you know you're on a better track.

Try pomodoro blocks at 25 minute and 5 minute break, then 25 minute and 10 minute break, and 25 minute and 15 minute break. Each break take to stretch, breathe, meditate. This will allow you to work better in your spurts and recharge adequately.

What's nice about finding a groove is that the groove tells you what's next in terms of scale, automation, delegation, and recharging. Being relaxes gives you the creative brain to figure out how to grow and scale intelligently. The brute force comes in knowing what you need to do to grow and scale form your mental preparation - but driving and grinding until you reach a benchmark before you actually make the switch/take the plunge on that next step/that next hire.

Show me a successful person and I'll show you a successful routine around sleep and recharging in one way or another (may sleep 4-5 hours but nap 1.5 hours for instance) - and it might mean negative habits too that just take 10-15 years to catch up in terms of weight gain, health issues, adrenal fatigue, drug/Rx-addictions or relationship issues. It's your choice, that's the beauty, but there's a way. If you feel out of control usually it's your health out-of-whack or it's time to face up to an overhaul/delegation/hiring decision.
 
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minivanman

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Re-read pages 190 and 191 in TMF . Oh and get an electric toothbrush. Wear your boxing gloves whenever you contemplate you know what.

Boxing gloves? :eek: Well you are no fun at ALL!!! Unless..... hhmmmmm I might have to try that....

Electric toothbrush is a good idea though. Mine cuts off in 2 minutes.... although most of the time I go for an extra 2 minutes.
 

Tommo

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How about sending a better reply to fvcorp re his kind offer.
Buy a packet of baby bum wipes, they are lots cheaper than adult ones but no different, should clean it a lot quicker.
 

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