What is the Make Time Book?
The authors Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky of Make Time introduce two key ideas that hinder the focus. And the two key concepts are the Busyness Bandwagon and Infinity Pools.
- The Busyness Bandwagon:
- This concept is about how society values being busy. People often pack their schedules full with everything like appointments. This makes them to feel important and productive. However, this nonstop hustle leaves little room for important work or personal priorities. In the end, this often leads to burnout.
- Infinity Pools:
- These digital platforms and activities provide an endless stream of content. These platforms aim to keep users engaged for as long as possible. This takes away users’ time and focus that could be spent on more meaningful activities. These platforms include social media, news feeds, and streaming services.
These ideas highlight the challenges people face in managing their time and attention. Knapp and Zeratsky’s book offers strategies to help readers avoid these traps. Readers can have more time to focus on what truly matters to them.
Strategies
- Highlight:
- Choose one priority each day that you want to make time for. This could be a project, an activity, or a person you want to spend time with.
- Laser:
- Create conditions for deep focus by eliminating distractions. This means setting your phone to Do Not Distribute. Keep your workspace clean, or find a quiet place to work.
- Energize:
- Take care of your body to maintain energy throughout the day. This involves getting enough sleep, eating healthy meals, exercising, and taking breaks.
- Reflect:
- At the end of each day, reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Adjust your strategies based on these reflections to improve your time-making approach.
- Batching:
- Group similar tasks together and do them in one focused session. This reduces the time spent switching between different types of work.
- Say No:
- Learn to say no to commitments and activities that don’t align with your priorities. This frees up time for what’s truly important.
- Design Your Day:
- Plan your day with intention. Schedule time for your highlights and other important activities. Be mindful of how you allocate your hours
- Screen Time Strategies:
- Limit your use of Infinity Pools. Set specific times for checking these platforms. Use tools to block access during work hours.
- Routine Tweaks:
- Make small changes to your daily routines to save time, such as prepping meals in advance or setting out your clothes the night before.
Recap
Distractions are everywhere, making it hard to stay focused. To reduce distractions, I use the focus mode on my phone and keep my phone out of reach. Additionally, I find the group tab feature on Chrome very useful. It allows me to organize related tabs into groups, which I can hide whenever I need to, without losing them.
Staying organized can be tough. Do your best, but if you find it overwhelming, don’t panic! Take a moment to think and reflect on what you did and how you can improve.
Thank you!
Thank you for your time and for reading this!