Using Time Design for Life Design
What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about time? Is it a timetable, an hourglass or maybe the ticking of a clock? Time is so much more than just a schedule or a limited resource to be used efficiently. When you start thinking about time as the canvas of your life that you get to paint, it fundamentally shifts your perspective. By intentionally designing your time, you can create a life of joy, fulfillment, and true happiness.
The Importance of Long-Term Perspective
Juggling to-do lists feels more like conducting a chaotic orchestra instead of an organized life. But what if I told you that the secret to living a harmonious life doesn’t lie in squeezing every second of your day but instead in taking a giant leap, into the future? You heard me, let’s talk long-term vision. Take a second to yourself and picture your ideal life- what will you want to do every day, every month, etc? Are you sipping coconut water on a beach in Bali (because who wouldn’t want that) or maybe just acing at your dream job, with enough time left over to actually, you know, have a life?
This vision is you North Star! Just as backpackers use it for direction, this will guide you towards your ideal future. Even on the times when your daily planner looks like it was filled by a particularly enthusiastic toddler who just learned to scribble. With the brightest star by your side, set audacious goals for 5, 10, and 15 years from now which will get you closer to your dream life.
You’ll realize that the closer you get, the more detailed your detailed your roadmap becomes. Long-term thinking gives your present self a clear vision, and that vision gives you a direction. It’s like having an offline GPS for your life, guiding you away from time-wasting detours.
Designing your ideal day, week, month, and year
With your long-term vision as your guiding light, you can design an ideal schedule by shaping your daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly plans to get you there. It’s all about setting milestones. Planning your day can be as detailed as buying eggs for dinner to completing a course. Fundamentally, each day should be designed such that it brings you joy. When it’s about planning your months and year, milestone-ing your big picture always helps. Block out time in your calendar for priorities such as tackling that big project or spending quality time with your family. But don’t forget to schedule in ‘you’ time too- this can range all the way from taking a nap to showing up to that concert.
Here’s a pro tip: At the end of each day, do a quick journaling exercise. Grade yourself on a scale of 1–10 in different areas like health, career, and relationships. These happiness audits are a powerful way to see if your schedule is truly aligned with your values and needs.
To stay on track, consider a quick journaling ritual at the end of each day. Answer these questions honestly:
- Life Satisfaction Score: How content do I feel with my life overall?
- Work Fulfillment Score: Did my work feel meaningful and fulfilling today?
- Health & Energy Score: How energized and healthy do I feel?
- Relationship Score: Did I feel connected and joyful in my relationships?
Remember, time design isn’t about feeling good the entire time- it’s about achieving results. Because let’s face it, we’re not robots, we’re a species with a great emotional capacity. So it’s okay to feel drained or unmotivated at times. The key is to show up nevertheless and continue to work.
Over time, as you continue to track and reflect on yourself, you can spot patterns and make targeted optimizations. You’ll discover that certain activities boost your energy. Keep doubling down on more of what works and design your days accordingly.
PS- If you’re starting to feel overwhelmed by all the journaling, check out this totally cool app ‘Beyond Time’. It keeps tabs on your routines, analyzes your mood, and suggests adjustments to help you create a truly balanced life aligned with your needs.
Finding Your Balance: A Life Designed for Joy
Living a life overflowing with balance, meaning, and joy is within reach. By becoming intentional with your time, you can design a life that reflects your values and aspirations, no matter what stage you’re in.
How would you like it if you were to imagine your life as a giant delicious cheesecake and you’re desperately distributing the slices at work, for family, health, mindfulness, friends, etc., while a mischievous rodent keeps coming at you for those sweet bites? That rodent is procrastination. But the good news is you get to decide how to slice that cake. The perfect mix will change as your life evolves. If you’re building a business empire, expect ‘work’ to devour a larger slice for now. As you gracefully transition into your golden years, maybe ‘travel’ gets a bigger say.
To achieve this, keep your long-term vision handy and use it just as you’d use a compass. It’ll help you navigate these ever-changing cake-throwing contests and ensure you don’t end up with a plate full of “work” and a single, lonely crumb of “fun.”
Now that you have a long-term vision, let’s talk money. Everyone says nothing can buy time, but what if I told you that you could use money to buy back time for what matters most? Automate those mind-numbing chores. This frees up your precious time and energy for the things that matter — the activities that bring you joy.
By using money as a tool, you have the ability to call the shots, set the schedule, and avoid any major derailments caused by procrastination or that extra slice of pie (hopefully). This newfound control over your time allows you to design a life that brings you fulfillment, purpose, and maybe even a little time for that nap you’ve been dreaming of.
Redefine retirement
Forget the cobweb-covered image of retirement — toiling away at a soul-sucking job for decades, only to finally be “free” to do what you love… when your knees have given out and your hobbies involve napping and yelling at pigeons. That’s so last century. Instead, use your ideal life vision as a magnet to pull you forward. You don’t have to make the leap all at once, but progressively align your life with your dreams.
- Step 1: Start by rigging your schedule with keystone habits that reliably bring you joy and fulfillment each day.
- Step 2: As your energy and awesomeness levels increase, so does your earning potential. This translates to more power to buy back your precious time!
- Step 3: You will negotiate for and attract the flexibility, autonomy, and respect you desire. And you will build financial security to progressively liberate your time.
So ditch the dusty retirement plan and start designing your dream life today. It’s time to trade in the rocking chair for a life adventure — one that lets you wake up every morning feeling excited, fulfilled, and ready to conquer your day.
The Climax
When the going gets tough or your motivation takes a coffee break, reconnect with your “why”. As you sprinkle more of what makes you sparkle into your days, you’ll notice a delightful domino effect. Suddenly, you’re the ideal version of yourself in everything you do.
Time is your ultimate currency, and it’s non-refundable. By curating it thoughtfully, you’re basically reclaiming your life’s remote control. You’re crafting a life filled with adventures, deep connections, and moments that make your heart dance. So, let’s raise a toast to living our “one wild and precious life” in a way that feels authentically us. Here’s to chasing dreams, savoring moments, and making every day count. After all, life’s too short for anything less than extraordinary.
