Key Messages
Maximize Your Efficiency To Find Time For Meaningful Activities
If you’re looking for a formula to help you fulfill your potential, then Jeff Sanders‘ Free-Time Formula is the answer.
This book helps readers understand that it’s not necessarily a lack of time, but how we use our time that matters most.
To maximize our efficiency, we must break down the boundaries between “work time” and “free time” and use all of our hours towards meaningful activities.
The book dives in deep to show readers why maintaining priorities is essential, how best to filter out distractions and why exercise should be the main focus for energy in our lives.
Use this formula, and you’ll learn how to use the limited hours of your day more effectively and reach your goals faster than ever before!
Stop Wasting Time: How To Prioritize And Conquer Procrastination
When it comes to getting the most out of your waking hours, it’s not about “free time” – it’s about prioritizing.
No matter how much you want to enjoy your free time, if you don’t prioritize the important things and beat procrastination, you won’t get anything done and your day will pass by in a blur.
The first step is understanding that if we want to be productive, we need to focus on one task at a time.
Multitasking doesn’t work – our brains simply aren’t designed for it.
This means that if we have an important project due at the end of the week, we can’t afford to wait until the last minute and then try to rush through it; instead, prioritize this task (and others) and make sure you get down to business right away.
Procrastination is a common threat when managing our time; but with discipline and practice, learning how to prioritize tasks is achievable and can help us be more productive.
In the next section of The Free-Time Formula Book Summarywe outline exactly how to do this so that you get maximum gain from your waking hours!
Give Your Brain A Break By Making Important Tasks Your Singular Priority
When it comes to tackling your to-do list, setting yourself just one priority for the day is key.
By focusing on only one task, you can ensure that your precious time and energy are going towards something that is important to you.
As Greg McKeown says in Essentialism, this is much more realistic than trying to focus on multiple tasks all at once as our brains aren’t made to handle that!
Having a singular priority allows us to tune out all other distractions so we can get down to work and focus on what needs doing.
Turn off your phone, gather the necessary equipment and find a peaceful place free from interruptions so you can take some quality time on this one task.
Be sure to have a snack and go to the toilet first so there are no pesky interruptions!
Start by taking another look at everything else on your list – do any of them need deleted or moved till next week? Can someone else help get something done for you? Cut out anything which isn’t urgent or important and soon you’ll be left with a shorter list of achievable tasks and more clarity around what exactly it’s time for you to start committing yourself towards!
Achieve More In Your Day With Short But Intense Exercise Sessions
If you’re looking for an efficient way to make time for both work and exercise, then the best plan is to opt for a short but intensive workout routine.
Just 10 to 15 minutes of intense morning workouts should be sufficient to set your body up for a productive day.
And if you’re doing weightlifting, aim to complete quick bursts followed by 15-30 second breathers.
You don’t have to invest in fancy equipment either – free weights or even just bodyweight exercises can prove more effective than machines!
The key is to start out gently and gradually increase the intensity of your workout as you progress.
You’ll be amazed at how much you can achieve with just 15 minutes – from a fitness perspective and from a productivity point of view too!
With this approach, you’ll feel more focused and ready to take on the world.
Letting Go Of Unnecessary Burdens Can Help Unlock Life-Changing Benefits
Decluttering your life and ditching perfectionism are great ways to free up valuable headspace.
Joshua Becker, the author of Minimalism, and one of the leaders of this movement, believes this to be especially true when it comes to managing your time.
By getting rid of things you don’t need will not only free up your physical space, but also save valuable resources, help reduce stress and make more room for other important activities or projects.
A great place to start is with your wardrobe.
A lot of us tend to own a lot of clothes which we rarely wear but always feel attached to because we think we might need them some day.
But look around you; chances are that about 70% of them won’t likely see much use in the near future if ever.
So donating those unwanted items and cutting big chunks from your wardrobe can be very freeing in both a physical and psychological way!
Take Jeff Sanders’ example; He decided he wanted his yard to rival his neighbor’s meticulously crafted lawn but soon realized that it was an exercise in futility as he just did not have a knack for gardening.
Instead of forcing himself into this situation he ended up re-directing all that energy towards something more worthwhile – writing a book!
This goes on to prove why declighting our lives from unnecessary burdens is so important; it frees us up mentally as well as reduces stress so that we may focus on what really matters!
The Power Of Themed Days In Time Management: How Scheduling Theme Days Led To Greater Efficiency For Sanders
Our time is limited and it’s important to make the best use of it when we can.
To do that, Sanders recommends creating specific theme days and pooling similar tasks together so that you can focus all your attention and energy on one task at a time.
For example, Sanders devotes his Mondays to personal projects like podcasting, Tuesdays for marketing, Wednesdays for education, Thursdays for administration, Fridays for meetings, Saturdays for health and exercise, and Sundays for quality time with family.
He differentiates his day into specific tasks so he can avoid multitasking and devote full attention to each task individually.
This helps him maximize his productivity and optimize the use of his time.
Even if you don’t have everyone day devoted to specific tasks, you could still bundle similar tasks together like writing emails in the morning followed by social media promotion in the afternoon.
By doing this you will be able to work more efficiently through your list of tasks without losing concentration or becoming overwhelmed.
So if you want to get more done without sacrificing your valuable free-time, then create designated theme days and pool similar tasks together so that you can stay focused on accomplishing what’s most important!
Plan To Be Spontaneous And Make The Most Of Unexpected Hours Of Free Time
Sometimes, we can find ourselves in the rare position of having a bit of free time that we hadn’t planned for.
With the right preparation, it is possible to make the most out of these unexpected opportunities.
This is where planning to be spontaneous comes in.
It’s essentially about creating a “just in case” list of activities that you want to do when you have some unplanned free time.
For example, if you end up with 15 minutes away from your desk during work, you could use this opportunity to fit in a quick yoga session or go for a brisk walk around the block.
If you’re lucky enough to have an hour of free time, maybe pick out a book and read it then and there!
If it’s an afternoon all to yourself, why not get out of the office and go for a swim or take a bike ride?
The weekends are also excellent opportunities for us to plan ahead and make the most out of our free-time.
Instead of just sitting on the couch watching TV series all day, think about doing something meaningful and memorable.
Pick up an instrument and start practicing your guitar skills or choose from any activity that you’ve always dreamed about doing but never quite found the time – like learning a language, fixing up old bikes or going on that hiking tour!
Planning for the unexpected can truly help you get more fulfillment out of your days off.
Unhook Yourself From Time-Wasting Tech And Find Better Ways To Jog Your Memory
Social media and distracting thoughts are the two great enemies of making the most of your time.
We all know that it’s easy to get sucked into social media and waste away precious hours, but you can fight back against those distractions to make more productive use of your time.
You can start by being mindful when it comes to which technologies you’re using help you meet your goals.
As far as social media is concerned, stick with using it for networking or connecting with friends instead of mindlessly scrolling through your feeds.
When it comes to your own meandering thoughts, make sure you have a notepad close by and always take note of any great ideas before they slip away from you.
Additionally, disable or delete apps on your smartphone that don’t help you work more efficiently – if it opens up too many paths for procrastination and distraction, then get rid of them!
With these handy tips, you’ll be better equipped to manage your time and focus on the important tasks at hand.
How To Make Room For Downtime And Recharge Your Batteries For Success
Many of us follow punishing work regimens, trying to squeeze in as much productivity into our lives as possible.
But this can cause serious physical and mental health issues over time, leading to burnout.
Fortunately, there’s hope for those of us who don’t want to be slaves to their jobs!
This is a concept that Alex Sanders understands first hand- he was once a workaholic himself, only to see his health, relationships and overall quality of life seriously suffer.
Sanders’ solution was simple: take regular sabbaticals.
These “time off” periods allow you to recharge your body and mind, giving your brain a much-needed break while allowing you to come back feeling re-energized and ready for work.
The Free-Time Formula helps you make these sabbaticals part of your everyday routine; with the right planning, an hour here or an afternoon there is enough time for meaningful downtime.You can also slot in a weekend away every month or two, or even plan for a longer annual vacation lasting up two weeks or more!
These planned breaks are essential if we’re going to avoid burnout and make the most out of our free time.
By following the advice in The Free-Time Formula book, it’ll be easier than ever before to maximize your free time for maximum benefit!
Wrap Up
The Free-Time Formula summarises the key to optimising your day: making each moment count.
Whether it’s a workday or leisure time, we should use it as efficiently and productively as possible.
To do this, we need clarity on what our goals are – big and small ones – and focus just on those.
Doing that will help us structure our time better, stay on top of procrastination, become more effective at time management, and ultimately improve the quality of both our professional life and personal life.
It doesn’t matter what your goals may be; no matter how big or small they are, having them at the forefront of your mind can help you make the most out of every moment throughout the day.
