The other day, a potential client asked me this:

"I struggle so much with time. My colleague recommended that working with you would help, but how does adding a new commitment help me meet my goals of doing less?"

I get it. It sounds completely reasonable, right?

I mean, we're all told that when we have too much on our plate that we should say NO to new things, not YES.

That makes perfect sense . . .except that it's completely wrong. 🤔

Hear me out.

Truth is, each of your hours are NOT equal. ⏰

We've been trained to measure time in length; hours or minutes, trying to squeeeeeze certain things in between the gaps in length.

But time isn't about length. It's about weight.

(I know that might sound weird, but stay with me 'cause this realization is magic. . .)

The hour you spend in person with your favorite colleague weighs more than the hour you spend in a Zoom meeting where half of the participants are off camera.

The hour you spend in deep, focused work in your superpower space weighs more than the hour spent filling out another set of expense reports.

No, time is NEVER a 1-to-1 swap.

That's why some efforts multiply time, not subtract it.

• The extra hour sleeping brings more energy into the next day to do things easier, faster.
• The half-day pre-mortem with your team to define obstacles before you're hip-deep in the new project saves weeks of rework and stressful nights later.
• And the hour a couple of times a month to work with a private coach (me or any other trained pro) helps you step back, decide who you want to be, and make more confident choices as to what you'll say yes--and no--to short-and-long term.

Once you get this concept, you're on your way to magically creating time rather than managing it.

So how about you, Reader? Hit REPLY and tell me about YOUR challenges with time. I always love to hear from you, and I can often offer specific thoughts when you share your personal story. I read every email that I get (like a human, not a bot 🤖.)

And of course, over the many years I've been sharing this Insider letter with you, I've written a lot about time, including here and here. And while it's a bit more tactical, this article on time-saving experiments always gets positive buzz 🐝.

I'm grateful you've weighed this note worth reading today. Thanks for being here, and for being you, 'cause you matter more than you know.

Always, Darcy

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P.S. Speaking of saving time, why wade through multiple news sites every day when my friends at Morning Brew have done the work for you? I love their fast, fun and friendly approach. I'm honored they've asked to sponsor us today, and I hope you'll give them a try. --D