No Time for Balance? The Solution May Be Simpler Than You Think

Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life

By Rodger Dean Duncan

Most people who feel the crush of busyness have heard the clichéd advice about time management: “Either run the day or the day runs you.” And my favorite, “The bad news is that time flies. The good news is that you’re the pilot.”

The interesting thing about clichéd advice is that sometimes it’s spot-on correct.

Early in my career, my wife and I had two small children. My job and daily commute were stressful. After fighting rush hour traffic, I arrived home one evening and was briefly irritable with our children. I immediately apologized, but still felt bad about my temporary lapse. My wife later asked me “what’s going on?” I gave her my usual litany about having so much to do and so little time to do it.

Then my dear wife, a great coach, gave me a gentle lesson that’s helped me throughout the decades since.

“Honey,” she began, “I think we live in an age of miracles.” I didn’t dispute that idea, but asked her to give me an example. “Well,” she continued, “I notice that you frequently complain about not having enough time. But I also notice that in the autumn of the year, on Mondays, at precisely 9:00 PM Eastern time, a miracle happens right here in our living room. You somehow find three hours to watch Monday Night Football. For a guy who never has enough time, that’s truly a miracle.”

Then she tied a nice bow on it: “Time really is about making deliberate choices. Like everyone else on the planet, you have only 168 hours a week. Maybe you could re-evaluate the choices you make in how you invest those hours.”

Ouch! But don’t you love it when someone you trust calls your attention to a blinding flash of the obvious?

Laura Vanderkam expands on this theme in her bestselling book Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done. Her TED talk, “How to Gain Control of Your Free Time” has been viewed more than six million times.

Laura destroys the myth that there’s just not enough time in the week for professionals to live happy, balanced, and productive lives. I visited with her to explore her thinking on this ever-popular topic.