I have 24 hours in a day.
I sleep for 6-8 hours. Let’s say 6. Now I have 18 remaining.
Of the 18 that remain, how should I spend my time when there are, let’s say, 19 hours of work to accomplish?
In this case, everyday there would be a deficit of 1 hour. That means that tomorrow, I have 18 hours, with, let’s say, 20 hours of work to do.
But what if I get a full night’s sleep tonight? After a full 8 hours of sleep, I’ll now have 16 hours tomorrow for 21 hours of work. Because remember, today created another deficit of 1 so it’s 21 hours for tomorrow.
Maybe if I entirely avoid sleeping one day I can catch up.
Damn, I forgot to account for eating and bathroom breaks. And when was the last time I called my best friend or my parents?
My math is off.
It’s super easy to get wrapped up in this. To feel the pressure of work encroaching on every minute of the day. The weekends stop feeling like the end but rather the window to catch up. Soon enough, I find myself forcing creative energy into the 25 minute window that I have in my day…so how creative can I be, on demand and stuffed in between other priorities.
The math doesn’t work. And the only way to make this math works is if I stop adding and start subtracting.
So, here I am, thinking about numbers, thinking about hours, trying to trim things and manage priorities. I’m working to trust more, delegate more, and claw back a few minutes more for quiet reflection and deep thinking. There are too many tasks, too many people to get back to, and a seemingly endless supply of digital distractions and messages to sort through.
Have you been here? Do you understand this feeling? If you do, do me a favor and just type one thing for me in the comments of this post.
Just type:
“I get you.”