Unlock the Clock: How to Achieve Time Freedom and Live Life on Your Terms
Time is the only currency of your life.
Everything else is renewable.
But not Time.
The moment you take your first breath, your clock is running down to zero.
Only thing is, the speed it runs is different for everyone. You don’t know if your clock starts at year 87 and counts down, or if it starts at year 24 and ticks to zero.
Let’s hope for your sake it’s the first option.
‘Memento Mori’ puts this into perspective.
This should be your motto towards attaining time freedom.
Remember your death.
How much time have you got left? Why are you wasting it?
Remember you will never, EVER get more time added to your clock.
All you got is now.
So what are you gonna do about it?
You’re gonna Unlock the Clock. Thats what.
So, What is Time Freedom?
Before I give you the strategies for achieving time freedom. Let’s get a clear definition of what time freedom is.
Time freedom is the liberty to live your life as you, please.
It is freedom from the drudgery of doing things you hate.
It is where you get to do the shit you want to do. When you want to do it.
And you don’t do the shit you don’t want to do.
It is freedom from a boss.
Freedom from the alarm clock.
Freedom from trading your time for money at a job you hate.
“Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful, lest you let other people spend it for you.”
M.J DeMarco
In other words, it's about having control over your time, so you can achieve a better balance between work and life.
The idea is that by having control over your time, you can achieve a more balanced, fulfilling life.
What does Time Freedom Feel Like?
Time Freedom is taking a walk and actually enjoying it, without your mind wrapping itself in knots worrying about the next task.
It’s the freedom to work on a passion project or learn the skills you’ve always wanted to, and give it your full attention.
Time freedom is earning money while you sleep.
It’s waking up and getting on a plane to another country because you don’t have to clock into the job site at 8.55 am sharp!
Time freedom is living life on your terms.
Not your bosses.
Not someone else’s agenda.
Yours.
What Time Freedom Is Not
Time Freedom is not a ticket to lay on the beach all day, drinking margaritas until you’re burnt to a crisp.
It’s not a free pass to watch Netflix or mindlessly scroll TikTok for 75% of your waking hours.
It’s not the freedom lay in bed, smoking weed, and jacking off all day either.
No. No. No.
Im talking about the freedom to separate time from money.
The freedom to live a life of passion, creativity, excitement, and productivity.
Its the ability to unhook yourself from the stress of day-to-day drudgery and create something amazing for the world.
“I Wish I Had More Time”
How often do you wish you had more time in a day?
If you’re like me, you’d do anything for one more hour each day.
One extra hour to work on your brand.
One extra hour to write your novel.
One extra hour to film a youtube video.
One extra hour to get more leads.
But here’s the sad truth.
Even if a magic genie gave us another hour, we would instantly find ways to waste it.
Time Freedom isn’t about getting more hours in the day, it’s about making the shift in your life to make it feel as if you have more TIME.
So, to achieve freedom of time, we need to understand our perception of time.
To do this, you must ask yourself these things:
How is your time valued, by you and others?
How do you treat your time?
Do you view time as abundant or fleeting?
How to Get Time Freedom
Alright, now I hear you asking. “I want more time! How do I get it?”
Well, the motto is simple…
“Discipline = Freedom”
Jocko Willink
Before you get time freedom, you need to build the scaffolding of your freedom.
Discipline is that scaffolding.
To be free of the constraints of time, you need focus and you need a regime to stick to
Left to its own devices, your mind will go stir fucken craZyY with extra time.
It will convince you to take the easy route every single time.
And soon enough, you will be back to feeling like you don’t have enough time in a day.
I didn’t say this was going to be easy - did I?
No. Unfortunately not.
How to Achieve Time Freedom
Now that we understand the importance of time freedom, let's talk about how to achieve it. The first step, as with any journey, is to set clear goals and priorities.
We need to understand how to make time work for you instead of against you.
This means identifying the most important tasks that need to be done and focusing on them first. This is key because it allows you to be more productive and efficient with your time.
But how do you do that?
Well, there are a plethora of techniques out there, but the most important thing is to find a method that works for you.
Once you've set your goals and priorities, it's time to learn how to prioritize tasks effectively. This is where we'll dive into the nitty-gritty of how to make the most of your time and get things done. So sit tight, stay focused, and let's get started on the path to time freedom.
Strategies for Managing Time
Now that we've got our priorities in order, let's talk about creating systems for managing our time.
Having a system in place is crucial for achieving time freedom. It allows you to plan and organize your time more effectively, so you can be more productive and efficient.
Below is a list of systems and strategies to make you feel like you have more time each day.
1. Time Block Planning
One of the best tools for managing time is a time blocker planner.
In his book Deep Work, Cal Newport discusses the benefits of using a time block planner where you literally block out every minute of your day.
Yes, this might sound extreme, but if you want Time Freedom, this is a fair price to pay.
When you block out every second of your day, you can see your entire day at a glance, and you know what you need to do and when you need to do it.
Newport says:
“We spend much of our day on autopilot-not giving much thought to what we're doing with our time. This is a problem.”
My version of time block planning.
2. Pareto’s Principle
Another system that I've found helpful is the "Pareto principle" also known as the 80/20 rule.
Which states that 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.
Applying this principle to time management means that 80% of your results come from 20% of your tasks.
So what the fuck are we doing with the other 80% of our time?
This means you should focus on the 20% of tasks that will give you the most results and prioritize them accordingly.
Pareto’s Law - 20% of our efforts result in 80% of our results
3. Set Quarterly, Weekly, Daily Goals
Another tool that I find helpful is a quarterly, weekly, and daily to-do list.
I use a small journal to keep track of my tasks, each quarter. At the start of each quarter I write down key goals to focus on. Then at the start of each week, I look at my quarterly goals and set weekly goals. Then, at the start of each day, I look at my weekly goals and set my daily priorities.
This allows me to visually map out my progress each day, week, and quarter.
You can see my process for this strategy below.
4. Its as easy as ‘ABCDE’
One technique I like to use is the "ABCDE" method. This involves categorizing tasks as:
A- Must do
B- Should do
C- Could do
D- Delegated
E- Eliminated
By using this method, you can quickly identify which tasks are the most important and need to be done first.
5. Set Boundaries
As a solopreneur or a digital nomad, it's easy to get caught up in the hustle, and it can be difficult to switch off and disconnect.
That's why it's essential to set boundaries around your time to achieve time freedom.
It's like having a gatekeeper for your time, it allows you to control who and what has access to your time.
Also, you are allowed to say NO to shit you don’t want to do.
So, how do we establish these specific times when we will not work?
It's all about creating a schedule and sticking to it.
I schedule my day from 6am to 5pm.
Sure, doesn’t sound like Time Freedom does it?
Well, it is not all work tasks, this includes journaling, meditation, content creation, novel writing, and working out.
Then I try to go into shutdown mode between 5pm-7pm and enjoy dinner and a good book or movie.
But it's not just about creating a schedule, it's also about sticking to it.
It's like building a muscle, it takes time and effort to establish a new habit.
6. Eliminate Distractions
Once you’ve set your boundaries, it's time to eliminate distractions.
Distractions can be anything from notifications on your phone, to colleagues stopping by your office, to even your own thoughts.
It's like trying to hit a target while someone keeps moving it.
Distractions can throw you off your game and make it difficult to be productive.
That's why it's essential to identify and eliminate distractions in your work environment.
One way to identify distractions is to track your time, this way you can see where your time is going and what's taking you away from your tasks.
Once you've identified your distractions, it's time to eliminate them.
This might mean turning off notifications on your phone, using noise-canceling headphones, or even moving to a different location to work.
But what do you do when distractions are inevitable, like colleagues stopping by your office? That's where techniques for staying focused and productive come in.
7. Pomodoro Technique
This time management method is where you work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break, and repeat.
This helps to keep me focused and also gives me regular breaks.
Another technique is to use a productivity app like Forest, it allows you to set a timer, and if you leave the app, a virtual tree will die.
It's a fun way to keep yourself focused and motivated.
Final Thoughts on Unlocking the Clock
Lastly, one of the most important things for creating an effective time management system is to find a system that works for you.
Don't be afraid to experiment with different tools and techniques until you find what works best.
Remember, time freedom is a constant effort that requires discipline and planning, but with the right tools and techniques, you can achieve it.
So, what’s next?
Well, my suggestion is that you either work on getting financial freedom and separate your income from time… or you come to terms with it and get mindset freedom… the path is yours.
