Time management is tricky
Why chasing productivity won't set you free.
Last week, we dipped our toes into the relentless pressure cooker of modern time management. Today, we're going to continue.
There are only twenty-four hours in a day.
It's a non-negotiable constraint that's spawned entire industries dedicated to "optimising" every precious minute. But let's be real—how's that working out for you?
If you're like most of us, your calendar probably looks like a Tetris. You're speed-reading books but retaining nothing. You've become so ruthlessly efficient that anything without an immediate ROI gets axed. And don't even get me started on the multitasking.
The truly depressing part?
This is our new normal. Spending evenings and weekends bound to our inboxes instead of, I don't know, actually living our lives?
So what do we do?
We turn to the internet, of course. We consume articles, blog posts, and tutorials promising the secret sauce to better time management—some work (temporarily), but most don't.
Now, I used to be obsessed with the productivity. But these days? Not so much. Let's break down why most time management advice is about as useful as a short-bread-made teapot:
One-size-fits-all is BS. We wouldn't accept it in healthcare or education, so why do we accept it when it comes to managing our most precious resource?
Sustainability? What's that? Dragging yourself out of bed at 3 a.m. doesn't make you a morning person. Real change takes consistent effort.
Tools are great, but they're not a magic bullet. You don't need the latest app or gadget—you need a shift in mindset.
Unrealistic expectations are setting you up for failure. No amount of "productivity hacks" will add more hours to the day or solve all your problems overnight.
Look, I'm not claiming to have all the answers. But I've been in the trenches, trying to juggle a full-time job with pieces of training and this publication. I know the struggle of trying to carve out time for what really matters.
Time management, as we know it, is a relic of the industrial age.
It's based on the idea that time is just another "production unit" to be optimized, a concept popularized by Frederick Winslow Taylor in his 1911 book “The Principles of Scientific Management”.
But you're not a factory worker, and your creativity isn't a widget to be manufactured. Treating your writing like it is will only lead you down a path of diminishing returns—or worse, to a point where pushing harder actually decreases your output.
So, what's the alternative? That's what we'll be unpacking in the upcoming months. We'll talk about setting realistic goals, creating a sustainable writing practice, and yes, even the importance of rest (gasp!).
Because here's the truth: if you want to make that leap to full-time Substack writing, you don't need to squeeze more productivity out of every waking moment. You need to fundamentally rethink your relationship with time.
As James Clear, reminds us: "If you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you'll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you're done." It's not about massive overhauls—it's about consistent, small improvements.
“Building habits and creating positive change can be easy — if you have the right approach. A system based o how human psychology really works.”1
“It is so easy to overestimate the importance of one defining moment and underestimate the value of making small improvements on a daily basis.”2
“If you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty seven times better by the time you’re done.”3
So, here's your homework for this week:
Do absolutely nothing productive. I'm serious. Take an hour, an afternoon, or (gasp) an entire day to just... be. Read that novel gathering dust on your nightstand. Take a leisurely walk without your phone. Stare at the ceiling and let your mind wander.
Because sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is absolutely nothing at all.
Until then, resist the urge to optimise.
This is the second of 24 essays I wrote as part of the Sparkle on Substack Essay Club to keep me accountable and consistently posting regularly.
If life often gets in the way of your regular writing and you are a fellow Substacker (which many of you are), I'd recommend you join
and Essay Club.
Great article Jana!
Saving this as well