Hope you had a relaxing and restorative weekend! When you think about the structure of your days, how much time is dedicated solely to you? How much time do you have to do the things that you want (and need) to do for yourself, without being interrupted, or risking something else being scheduled during that time? When it comes down to reading, journaling, working out, catching up with friends, or other activities that promote our well-being, they are usually the first to go when schedules get busy. It’s not uncommon to hear “yeah I know I should do that, but I’m just too busy; I don’t have time.” I hardly buy it, knowing that 24 hours is a lot of time and it all boils down to priorities. Either way, blocking time on the calendar to ensure there is at least SOME time for the things that matter to you is the easiest way to dedicate time to yourself and your personal development.
The inspiration for this practice came from my buddy Sean Hand, Director of Business Development at KPMG, Founder of the Awkward Networker, and author of That Was Awkward: 7 Secrets of an Awkward Networker. Sean and I had been hoping to catch up for quite some time and when I asked him when would work best, he responded with “anytime between 1-2p next week,” which I found interesting. Very rarely do you see one hour completely open for the duration of a week, let alone a year. When we hopped on the phone one afternoon from, you guessed it, 1-2PM, Sean explained to me that he holds time from 1-2PM every day on his calendar solely for talking and catching up with people that he wants to talk to. In his words, he describes the time block as a “HOLD for people that I want to talk to.” Whether it’s catching up with a friend, mentoring a student, getting inspired by a mentor, or somebody that has been on the mind to catch up with, he dedicates this time for conversations such as these, and leaves with creativity and energy for the remainder of the day. By taking time out of the day for these meaningful connections, it provides fuel for the remainder of the day and provides something to look forward to. It all started by blocking the calendar.
This inspired me to block my calendar every day M-F from 12-1PM, allowing nothing (except on rare occasions) to get in the way of this time period. On my calendar, it’s held as “Nathan” time. Whether it’s catching up with a friend, working out, reading, going for a walk, or doing whatever I feel will be beneficial for my development that day, I have guaranteed time for it. And this is guilt-free time by the way; after all, 1 out of 24 hours is a hair over 4% of the day. If you can’t block out 4% of your day for yourself, then you should reconsider how you prioritize your time.
So find a time every day, make it recurring every day (at least during the school/work week) BLOCK your calendar, and enjoy your YOU time. Find meaningful activities for your development that you can pursue during that time period. No guilt. No excuses. And OWN this time. Hold it sacred and free for yourself. And watch what happens to the quality and productivity of your days. If you don’t schedule your life, someone else will schedule it for you…
Mental Diet
Podcast of the Week: The School of Greatness Podcast Episode 1152: Accountability, Temptation Bundling, and Creating Lasting Habits with Katy Milkman (59 minutes)
This was an insightful podcast with host Lewis Howes and special guest Katy Milkman, behavioral scientist and Professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She also hosts her own podcast, titled “Choiceology,” exploring lessons of behavioral economics, and authored the book How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, which I plan to dive into this upcoming week. In this podcast, she talked about the secret to creating change in your life, which is identifying your personal barriers to change, and mapping your behaviors to specifically address/remove the barriers. Additionally, she recommends clarifying your “wants” vs. “shoulds,” with wants being the things you derive more short-term satisfaction from, and shoulds being defined as things that will benefit you in the long-term. The School of Greatness podcast is very insightful in the realm of personal productivity and development, and this specific podcast is no different- one that I highly recommend checking out.
Quote of the Week:
"Rigidity is the enemy of habit and success because life throws you curveballs constantly.” -Katy Milkman
I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. As always, I welcome any thoughts, comments, or feedback. If you found this Weekly Spark beneficial or thought-provoking, please share with a friend and encourage them to sign up, or send me their email and I will gladly add them to the recipient list. Lastly, if I can help you in any way, whether it’s with my knowledge, connections, or resources, please reach out. Let’s stay positive and make it a great week for everyone around us!
Nathan