If time is truly more precious than money, then spending money to buy back your time is the wisest trade of all. Here’s an example of overcoming my frugality to live a better life.

Perhaps one of the main reasons I initially didn’t want to go on a family vacation to LegoLand and SeaWorld was because I knew it would cost thousands of dollars. As someone who enjoys investing more than spending, it’s hard for me to feel comfortable dropping ~$5,000 for just three days of vacation when I already feel like I’m on vacation at home as a semi-retiree.

However, as someone who’s been actively trying to spend more money since turning 45 (in 2022), I figured, let’s give this trip a go. Spending money on family is much easier than spending money on myself. Baby steps toward decumulation!

Spending Money On Saving Time Is The Best

Since this was our first time visiting LegoLand in Carlsbad, we didn’t quite know what to expect. We asked other parents and newsletter readers whether we should get the fast passes for $99/person to skip potentially long lines.

About 75% said there was no need because we were going on an off-peak Thursday in October. That sounded reasonable, so I took their advice. After all, we could always buy the fast passes later if the crowds were bad, that is, if the passes were still available.

At 10:10 a.m., we rolled up to the Coastersaurus ride, and the line was absurdly long! See the video for yourself. One of the ushers suggested we head toward the back of the park since it had just opened and the other rides were still relatively empty.

We followed her advice and moseyed over to Emmet’s Flying Adventure ride, a highly anticipated ride after our kids just watched the Lego movie. Unfortunately, another long line. That’s when I decided, screw it. I wasn’t about to spend 30–40 minutes per ride standing in line with a 5- and 8-year-old. Life’s too short. I bought the $396 worth of fast passes for the four of us.

At first, I felt guilty walking past everyone waiting patiently in line, especially the children. I even wondered if I was setting a bad example for my kids by not practicing patience. But then I remembered – $396 is a lot of money! – and got over it. It wasn’t like we lived in Southern California, had a season pass, and could easily get to LegoLand whenever we wanted.

The kids were thrilled to go on more rides, and as any parent knows, happy kids (and a happy spouse) make for a happier life.

Probably Didn’t Need The Most Expensive Fast Pass

Now that we’ve been to LegoLand once, I realize there’s no need to splurge on the $99-per-person Ultimate fast pass again during off-peak season. The Deluxe or even Regular fast pass would’ve been plenty since every ride only has two lines: the regular line and the fast pass line. The ushers don’t seem to differentiate between which tier you bought.

We also found that a couple of rides – Ninjago and Lost Kingdom Adventure – had no wait times at all. Toward the end of the day, I almost wished the lines were longer just so we could feel like we got more value from the upgrade.

So, I’ll chalk up that extra $196 to inexperience. At the time, we were worried about getting nickel-and-dimed by the park if we didn’t buy the top-tier pass. At least now we know, and now thousands of you who’ve never been know too.

Spending On Ubers Instead Of A Rental Car Was Great

Another decision to save time was to use Ubers instead of renting a car. An Uber ride from our house to SFO costs about $30 one way, while long-term parking costs $25/day, and we’d be gone for three days. Plus, it takes an extra 20 minutes to get from the parking lot to security. So taking an Uber was a no-brainer for both time and cost savings. We picked up our kids from school at 3:50 p.m. on Wednesday to catch a 5:30 p.m. flight.

We could’ve rented a midsize car in San Diego for about $70/day ($210 total), but I wanted to avoid the hassle of pickup, parking, and drop-off. In total, we spent about $300 on Uber rides. And frankly, it felt totally worth it, especially compared to the $396 we spent on fast passes.

There’s also something freeing about not being responsible for a large, expensive asset that could get dinged up or stolen. That mental relief alone made the vacation feel lighter. When you factor in the value of time and reduced stress, spending on rideshare services over rentals starts to look like a solid tradeoff.

No Time Saved Flying Business Or First, So We Didn’t

I still can’t justify paying a 50%–200% premium for Business or First Class on short domestic flights, especially when everyone arrives at the same time. If I was going to Hawaii by myself, then maybe.

At 5’10” and ~168 pounds, I can still fit comfortably in Economy seats. My wife and kids fit easily, too since they are much smaller. If we get to sit together in a row of four, or two and two, then even better. My economy seat effectively expands by 25%–50% when I can snuggle next to my loved ones.

Our flight had a 3-and-3 configuration, so I was the one who drew the short straw and sat next to strangers both ways. The flight down was fine, but on the way back, I sat beside a fidgety 14-year-old who kept bumping me and waving his arm in front of my face to point out the window. Still, no big deal. I typed up my free weekly newsletter on the short 70-minute flight.

When we landed, our first Uber kept delaying pickup, so I canceled and called a Lyft, which arrived in two minutes. It felt great not having to wait for an airport shuttle or hunt down our car in long-term parking. Time saved once again.

Still Doesn’t Feel Great Spending $5,000

The investor in me still winces thinking about spending $5,000 on pleasure instead of investing it in the S&P 500 or a venture fund for my kids. I can’t help but run the numbers:

• In 13 years, when my daughter heads to college, that $5,000 could’ve grown to $17,000 if invested in the S&P 500 earning a 10% annual return.
• In 10 years, when my son heads to college, that same $5,000 could’ve compounded to $31,000 if invested in Fundrise Venture earning 20% a year. I’ve invested about $200,000 earmarked for both kids so far, which means I’ve got another $150,000 to go to save them from AI.
• Or, it could’ve paid for a weeklong music or sports camp that builds lasting skills and confidence.

As an investor, there’s always a risk when spending money on something new. You never know if it’ll be worth it until afterward. Of course, investors can also lose money too. But since we all had such a great time in San Diego, I’m at peace with it.

FIRE Is All About Reducing Time Spent on Suboptimal Experiences

After writing about FIRE since 2009, this lesson feels full circle. The whole point of achieving financial independence is to free up our time – to do less of what we don’t enjoy and more of what we love. The more we dislike our jobs or feel that our work lacks purpose, the stronger our desire to FIRE naturally becomes. The same goes for if we’re more sensitive on time’s passing.

The key is to use money as a tool to buy back time, by saving and investing aggressively until we reach our Minimum Investment Threshold. Once we hit that point, work becomes more optional and life becomes more intentional.

Buying back time can mean skipping long lines, avoiding parking headaches, or simply cutting out the small annoyances that drain our energy. Because once time is gone, we can’t buy it back. Now that I’m a parent, the return on all the “sacrifices” I made in my 20s and 30s to build passive income feels absolutely worth it.

When it comes to FIRE, giving up active income by not working is essentially the same as spending money to save time. They’re two sides of the same coin. Accepting this reality makes it much easier to spend once you’re retired.

After all, what’s $5,000 when you’ve already given up earning $50,000, $100,000, $500,000, or even $1+ million a year because you no longer want to trade time for money? In that context, $5,000 is insignificant.

Final Thoughts on Spending for Time Freedom

Spending money doesn’t have to feel bad, as long as it’s purposeful. Spending to save time, create memories, or reduce stress is money well spent. Just be careful that extreme frugality doesn’t lead to lifestyle deflation. It’s an easy trap to fall into after a lifetime of saving diligently.

Given time is more valuable than money, spending money to save time is the logical thing to do. You can always make more money, but you can’t make more time. The trick is finding the balance between the investor in you who wants compounding returns, and the human in you who wants to enjoy life while you can.

So, the next time you hesitate to spend on convenience or experience, ask yourself: Will this purchase help me reclaim time or create lasting joy? If the answer is yes, then it’s probably worth it.

Readers, what are your thoughts on spending more money to save time? What are things to spend money on that could rival or surpass the value of saving time?

Subscribe To Financial Samurai 

If you want more time freedom, pick up a copy of my USA TODAY national bestseller, Millionaire Milestones: Simple Steps to Seven Figures. I’ve distilled over 30 years of financial experience to help you build more wealth than 94% of the population, and break free sooner.

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In this episode of A Productive Conversation, I sit down with Jesse J. Anderson, a writer, speaker, coach, and ADHD advocate whose work has resonated with countless people navigating life with ADHD. He’s the author of Extra Focus: The Quick Start Guide to Adult ADHD and the voice behind the popular newsletter of the same name.

Jesse brings a mix of humor, honesty, and lived experience to the conversation. We dive into the challenges of attention, time, and motivation—and the strategies that can help not only those with ADHD, but anyone who wants to work with their brain instead of against it.

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Six Discussion Points

• How Jesse’s diagnosis at 36 reframed his past struggles and opened new possibilities.
• The concept of the “clockless mind” and why time feels so different for those with ADHD.
• The oscillation between friction and flow—and how to recognize both.
• Jesse’s “4Cs” framework (Captivate, Create, Compete, Complete) for unlocking motivation.
• Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) and how it impacts relationships and self-perception.
• Why strategies like adding action verbs to tasks and “eating the ice cream first” can help create momentum.

Three Connection Points

Talking with Jesse reminded me that productivity isn’t one-size-fits-all. Whether you live with ADHD or simply want to work more effectively, strategies like the 4Cs and reframing how you view time can shift the way you approach your day. I hope you’ll check out Jesse’s work and experiment with some of these ideas yourself.

Want to support the podcast? You can subscribe to the show and leave quick rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts. You can subscribe on Spotify and also on Apple Podcasts.

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No more “OK, just five more minutes” of TikTok doom scrolling.

Important note: Once it’s locked, there are no overrides. So in case of emergencies, you’ll need a backup plan: access to another phone (such as a roommate’s) or, as reviewers note, the option to break the box. Hopefully it never comes to that, but if it does, they sell replacement bases separately (more sizes available on their website).

Kitchen Safe is a US-based small business that specializes in lockboxes to help curb distracting habits.  

Promising reviews: “Once you start implementing this into your daily routine, you will see many changes for the better in your life! Especially if using for your phone, you learn to be away from it and not focus on the stresses that phones can create. The functionality of the timer is awesome as well. I love how easy it is to set a time up on it and to quickly do so, as sometimes I hesitate in wanting to put my phone in there. But once I do, I can’t go back, and that is a great thing!” —Julia

“Simple and easy to use. I like the opaque base, so it is out of sight (even if it is not out of mind…). This is not an industrial safe, of course. One solid hit with a regular claw hammer will shatter the base without damaging the lid (don’t ask me how I know this). If you are determined to get your item out, you can, but it is built-in willpower for whatever you want to use less of. And replacement bases can be purchased on their site for a very reasonable price, so if the temptation is too great, you don’t have to buy a whole new unit.” —Carol D.

Get it from Amazon for $59+ (available in five colors, with a white or clear base, and three sizes). 

Patience is not about waiting, it’s the ability to maintain a positive outlook while working hard for what you believe in.

Have you ever told yourself that you’re going to make something happen and then nothing happened? All details aside, it’s because you didn’t have the right habits in place — the little things you do every day that build up to something bigger. Your habits truly make or break you. Because in all walks of life you become what you habitually do. You will never make progress or change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret to your success is always found in your daily habits and routines.

In other words, regardless of your unique life situation or how you personally define success, you can’t become an overnight success. You become successful over time from all the little things you do one day at a time.

Failure occurs in the same way. All your little daily failures (that you don’t learn and grow from) come together and cause you to fail…

• You fail to check the books.
• You fail to make the calls.
• You fail to listen to your customers.
• You fail to innovate.
• You fail to do what must be done.

And then one day you wake up and your business has failed. It was all the little things you did or didn’t do along the way — your daily habits — not just one big catastrophic event.

Let this be your wake-up call.

YOUR LIFE IS YOUR BUSINESS!

YOUR HABITS ARE YOUR BUSINESS!

So today, let’s discuss some super-common daily habits Angel and I have seen plaguing dozens of our coaching clients and conference attendees over the past decade — little things many people do over and over again that waste nearly all their time and potential in life:

1. Change nothing and expect different results.

There’s a saying that the definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Take this to heart. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. Oftentimes the only difference between a successful person and a person who makes little progress is not one’s superior abilities, but the courage that one has to bet on their ideas, to take calculated risks, and to take steady steps forward.

Truly, some people sit and wait for the magic beans to arrive while the rest of us just get up and get to work.

2. Keep waiting for the right time.

Even when we have productive intentions, too many of us waste so much of our time waiting for ideal paths to appear. But they never do of course, because we forget that paths are made by walking, not waiting. So stop waiting today…

Think of today as the beginning — the conception of a new life. The next nine months are all yours. You can do with them as you please. Make them count! Because a new person is born in nine months. The only question is: Who do you want that person to be? Now is the time to decide.

And no, you shouldn’t feel more confident before you take the next step. Taking the next step is what builds your confidence and fuels your inner and outer growth.

3. Believe good things come fast and easy.

A goal is a point of achievement that requires effort and sacrifice. There are no esteemed goals worth participating in that don’t require some level of effort and sacrifice. My 90-year-old grandmother once told me, “Decades from now when you’re getting closer to the end, you will not remember the days that were easy, you will cherish the moments when you rose above your difficulties and conquered challenges of magnitude. You will dream of the strength you found within yourself that allowed you to achieve what once seemed impossible.”

So don’t just do what’s easy today, do what you’re capable of. Astound yourself with your own abilities. And as you struggle forward, remember, it’s far better to be exhausted from little bits of effort and learning than to be tired of doing absolutely nothing. Effort is never wasted, even when it leads to disappointing results. For it always makes you stronger and more experienced in the long run.

4. Refuse to accept necessary risks.

Living is about learning as you go. Living is risky business. Every decision, every interaction, every step, every time you get out of bed in the morning, you take a small risk. To truly live is to know you’re getting up and taking that risk, and to trust yourself to take it. To not get out of bed, clutching to illusions of safety, is to die slowly without ever having truly lived…

Think about it. If you ignore your instincts and let shallow feelings of uncertainty constantly stop you, you will never know anything for sure, and in many ways this un-knowing will be worse than finding out your instincts were wrong. Because if you were wrong, you could make adjustments and carry on with your life, without always looking back and wondering what might have been.

5. Make the rejections of yesterday the focal point of today.

Be okay with walking away when the time comes. Rejection teaches us how to reject what’s not right for our well-being. It won’t always be easy, but some chapters in our lives have to close without closure. There’s no point in losing yourself by trying to fix what’s meant to stay broken.

All too often we let the rejections of our past dictate every move we make thereafter. We literally do not know ourselves to be any better than what some opinionated person or isolated circumstance once told us was true. Of course, this old rejection doesn’t mean we aren’t good enough — it means the other person or circumstance failed to align with what we had to offer at the time. It means we have more time now to improve our thing, to build upon our ideas, to perfect our craft, and to indulge deeper into the work that moves us. And that’s exactly what YOU need to do, starting now.

6. Refuse to take responsibility.

You aren’t responsible for everything that happened to you, but you need to be responsible for undoing the thinking and behavioral patterns these outcomes created within you. Blaming the past for a limiting mindset today doesn’t fix it. Change your response to what you remember, and step forward again with grace.

A combination of your decisions and external factors for which you had no control brought you to where you are today. Negatively blaming someone else, or some past circumstance, will change nothing. Positively taking full responsibility for the next step on your path forward can change everything. Leave the unchangeable past behind you as you diligently give yourself to the present moment. In this moment is every possibility you seek. Take responsibility for it, and bring these possibilities to life.

7. Close your mind to new ideas and perspectives.

Remember that success in life does not depend on always being right. To make real progress you must let go of the assumption that you already have all the answers. Even as you grow wiser with age, you must remind yourself that an understanding is never absolutely final. What’s currently right could easily be wrong later. Thus, the most destructive illusion is a settled point of view.

So don’t stop learning! Don’t stop investing in yourself. Study. Read. Devour books. Engage with people, including those who think differently. Ask questions. Listen closely. And don’t just grow in knowledge. Be a person who gives back. Use what you’re learning to make a real and lasting difference. (Note: “The Good Morning Journal: Powerful Prompts and Reflections to Start Every Day” is a great tool for keeping yourself on track with this kind of fresh daily perspective.)

8. Let a few negative people continuously distract you.

Your mind is your private sanctuary; do not allow the negative beliefs of others to occupy it. Your skin is your barrier; do not allow others to get under it. Take good care of your personal boundaries and what you allow yourself to absorb from others.

Of course, there will inevitably be a few people in your life who will be critical of you regardless of what you do or how well you do it. If you say you want to be a dancer, they will discredit your taste in music. If you say you want to build a new business, they will give you a dozen reasons why it might not work. They somehow assume you don’t have what it takes, but they are dead wrong! Let that sink in…

It’s a lot easier to be negative than positive — a lot easier to be critical than correct. When you’re embarking on a new venture, instead of listening to the few critics that will try to distract you, spend time talking to one of the hundreds of people in this world who are willing to support your efforts and acknowledge your potential, respectfully. And go ahead and leave us a comment down at the bottom of this post if you think you can’t find one.

9. Hold tight to something that’s not real.

Remind yourself right now that not everything is meant to be. Sometimes you have to track the data, review the data, and seriously sit down with yourself and come to grips with the fact that you were wrong about it all along. It was just an illusion that never really was what you thought it was.

It’s one of the most difficult realizations to accept, to realize that you feel a sense of loss, even though you never really had what you thought you had in the first place. The key is knowing this, learning from it, letting go, and taking the next step forward. (Note: Angel and I discuss this in more detail in the Adversity and Growth chapters of “1,000 Little Things Happy, Successful People Do Differently”.)

10. Maintain rigid expectations every step of the way.

Simple things become complicated when you expect too much. Rigid expectations truly are a root cause of heartache. Don’t let them get the best of you. Every difficult life situation can be an excuse for hopelessness or an opportunity for personal growth, depending on what you choose to do with it. So start by choosing to let go of the expectations that aren’t serving you.

A mistake doesn’t hurt, expectation does. A rejection doesn’t hurt, expectation does. And so it goes…

Remember, the mind is your battleground. It’s the place where the fiercest conflict resides. It’s where half the things you feared would happen, never actually happened. It’s where your expectations get the best of you, and you fall victim to your own train of thought time and time again. So don’t lower your standards, but do remember that removing your rigid expectations in life is the best way to avoid being disappointed by everyone and everything you encounter.

Truth be told, one of the most important moments in life is the moment you finally find the courage to let go of what can’t be changed. Because, when you are no longer able to change a situation, you are challenged to change yourself — to grow beyond the unchangeable. And that changes everything…

An Exercise for Building Better Daily Habits

If you feel like you’ve wasted too much time and potential on one or more of the points above, this quick actionable closing exercise is for YOU.

Choose any area in your life that you want to improve, and then:

1. Write down the specific details about your current circumstances. (What’s bothering you? Where are you stuck? What do you want to change?)
2. Write down your answer to this question: What are the daily habits that have contributed to your current circumstances? (Be honest with yourself. What are you doing regularly that actually contributes to the situation you’re in?)
3. Write down a few specific details about the “better circumstances” you’d like to create for yourself. (What would make you happy? What does an improved situation look like for you?)
4. Write down your answer to this question: What are the daily habits that will get you from where you are to where you want to be? (Think about it. What small, daily steps will help you gradually move forward from point A to point B?)

Now it’s your turn…

Yes, it’s your turn to not fall back into your old patterns of living simply because they’re more comfortable and easier to access. It’s your turn to remember that you’re leaving certain habits and situations behind today for a reason: to improve your life — because you can’t move forward if you keep going back. And it’s undoubtedly your turn to reclaim some of your time and potential, and make today count!

But before you go, please leave Angel and me a comment below and let us know what you think of this essay. Your feedback is important to us.

Which one of the points above resonated the most today?

Also, if you haven’t done so already, be sure to sign-up for our free newsletter to receive new articles like this in your inbox each week.

Our smartphones are a modern marvel, granting us access to near-limitless content at just the touch of a fingertip. But we don’t need to tell you: They’re also incredibly distracting.

“If you look at how people use their smartphones and how many times they pick them up per day, I mean, it’s just stunning,” Laura Vanderkam, author of books including Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done and I Know How She Does it: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time, tells SUCCESS®. 

The average American spends five hours and 16 minutes looking at their phone every day, according to one 2024 study, and that’s before taking into account time spent looking at laptops, tablets or TVs. So, how do you set up your phone to avoid slipping into a scrolling spiral and wasting valuable time? We asked the experts and came up with this list of nine tips.

1. Take control of your notification settings.

David Kadavy, author of Mind Management, Not Time Management: Productivity When Creativity Matters and The Heart to Start: Stop Procrastinating and Start Creating, recommends keeping your phone in Do Not Disturb mode whenever possible. “Use favorites to allow notifications from any critical contacts,” he says, but otherwise? You probably don’t need to be getting every notification in real time. 

If keeping your phone on Do Not Disturb isn’t doable (what if the kids need to call from a number you don’t know?), you can always mute certain numbers or apps so that those messages come through but won’t ping you with a notification. “Identify whoever is the most annoying—the WhatsApp group that you need to be on but don’t actually need to follow in real time, the people who you might want to know [what they said] eventually, but it’s not your babysitter texting that you need to come home right now—and then make sure that those alerts do not come through in real time,” Vanderkam says.

2. Make each app earn its spot… 

“Don’t allow time-wasting apps on your phone just because you might need them once in a while,” Kadavy says. If you find that you’re spending more time than you’d like scrolling Instagram or X, it’s a great idea to simply remove those apps from your phone. Kadavy even takes this one step further and uses parental controls to block certain websites from his phone—you can’t get distracted by an X link your friend sent if you’re unable to open the link in the first place!

3. …Or at the very least, protect your home screen real estate. 

If deleting social media from your phone seems too extreme, either because you use social media for work or you just really want to be able to check TikTok over lunch, Kadavy recommends “burying” those apps in a folder and putting the things you really need on your home screen. “Don’t confuse ‘used a lot’ with ‘use-ful,’”’ he quips. We’re talking about home screen staples like Maps, Uber and Kindle—not Facebook and Instagram.

4. Swap passive scrolling for active learning.

Speaking of Kindle, Vanderkam says putting an e-reader on your phone is a no-brainer. “In the moments when you are using your smartphone as a way to kill time, you want to make sure that you’re doing that in the most positive way possible,” she explains. Lots of people say they want to read more but struggle to meet their reading goals; having Kindle or Libby at the ready can help. 

If reading isn’t your preferred productive time killer, consider trying language apps like Duolingo or Babbel, general knowledge apps like Crash Course, or self-improvement apps like Deepstash. 

5. Set up shortcuts to automate tasks. 

In iOS, there’s a feature called Shortcuts that lets users create, well, shortcuts. In the simplest terms, these are ways to use your apps without opening them, and many shortcuts can help with saving time and energy. “Probably the most overlooked [iPhone pheature] has got to be Shortcuts,” Kadavy says. 

Shortcuts can let you create or add to a note, turn text into audio, sort information, find a coffee shop within walking distance—even contact people to let them know you’re running late and give them an ETA using Maps data and your current location. And you can use Siri to run shortcuts, meaning you can just ask your phone to complete any of these actions.

6. Don’t use your phone as an alarm.

According to Kadavy, the a.m. hours are the most creative ones in the day—and if you’re staring at your phone from the moment you wake up, it’s way too easy to get sidetracked during a time that should be used for more pressing tasks.

“I like to think of it like when you wake up in the morning, your mind is like a burning building, and what you do with that first hour of your day is who you decide to save,” Kadavy says. He recommends getting an old-school alarm clock and using those early hours for something more pressing, like working on a client pitch or putting together an important deck.

7. Do use your phone as a phone.

“Actually using your smartphone as a phone is a great idea. People should call people,” Vanderkam says.

She recommends taking some designated weekly planning time to look at the upcoming week and “triage your calendar.” Do you see any scheduled meetings that you strongly suspect could be handled with a brief phone call?

“When you see those little bits of schedule clutter, you can take that time to pick up your phone and call the person to say, ‘Hey, I see we’re meeting next week. I want to be prepared. How can I be most prepared for our meeting next week?’” Vanderkam explains. “That’s when the person says, ‘Oh, I just want to know when you’re gonna finish that thing,’  and you say, ‘Thursday!’ and then it’s off both your calendars.

8. Or consider getting a second phone.

“I know, it’s like, ‘Oh, who are you, like, the King of France?’ You can have two phones,” Kadavy laughs, but he means it—it can be a real productivity booster to have one phone on you when you’re working and another that you use during downtime. That way, you don’t have to choose between fun apps and productive apps.

“I mean, most of us right now have an extra phone lying around, right?” he asks. If not, you can get a used smartphone for a few hundred dollars. “If you’re using it well, $200 for the amount of productivity that you can unlock isn’t outrageous. That’s a screaming bargain.”

9. Turn it off and put it away.

Sometimes the best way to make your phone work for you is to get it the heck away from you. In moments where you really want to put your head down and work, or if you find that the tips above aren’t having the desired effect, one of the best things you can do is just not look at your mobile device while you’re trying to be productive.

“The cause of productivity is usually not advanced by spending more time on your phone,” Vanderkam chuckles. “And so unless there’s something you’re specifically doing for your job on your phone and you have an app that’s associated with that, you want to spend less time on your phone.”

Photo from Peopleimages.com/Shutterstock.com

The most important decision you will ever make is what to do with the time given to you.

I recently received a thank you email from a reader named Hope. She said our work helped motivate her through an arduous recovery process following a serious car accident last year. Although her entire story is both heartbreaking and inspiring, this one line made me pause and think:

“The happiest moment of my life is still that split-second a year ago when, as I laid crushed under a 2000 pound car, I realized my husband and 9-year-old boy were out of the vehicle and absolutely OK.”

Dire moments like this force us to acknowledge what’s truly important to us. In Hope’s case it was her husband and son. And in the remainder of her email she talks about how her family spends significantly more time together now, sharing daily stories, telling little jokes, and appreciating each other’s company. “The accident made us realize how much time and joy we had been wasting every day on things that weren’t even important, which prevented us from spending quality time with each other,” she said.

It’s hard to think about a story like Hope’s and not ask yourself: What do I need to stop wasting my time and joy on today?

Here are some things to consider that I’ve been examining in my own life:

1. Distractions that pull you away from moments with important people.

Pay attention to the little things today, because when you really miss someone you miss the little things the most, like just laughing together. Go for long walks. Indulge in great conversations. Count your mutual blessings. Let go for a little while and just be together.

2. Compulsive busyness.

Schedule time every day to not be busy. Have dedicated downtime — clear points in the day to reflect, rest, and recharge. Don’t fool yourself; you’re not so busy that you can’t afford a few minutes of sanity every day. Over the past decade, Marc and I have gradually learned to pay more attention to the beauty and practicality of living a simpler life. A life uncluttered by most of the default busyness people fill their lives with, leaving us with space for what’s truly meaningful. A life that isn’t constant rushing, worrying and stress, but instead contemplation, creation, and connection with the people and projects that matter most to us.

3. Thinking negatively about your abilities.

Just because you’re struggling doesn’t mean you’re failing. Every great success requires some type of worthy struggle to get there. And don’t wish away all your days waiting for better ones ahead. Just appreciate where you are. You’ve come a long way, and you’re still learning and growing. Be thankful for the lessons. Take them and make the best of things right now.

4. The needless drama around you.

A big part of maturity is learning to gracefully walk away from situations that threaten your peace of mind, self-respect, values, morals, or self-worth. Practice letting go gradually. Remind yourself that you don’t need to attend every argument you’re invited to. Give yourself the space to value your time, genuine relationships, and peace of mind, above all in the weeks ahead. Because little else will matter more in the long run.

5. The desire for everything you don’t have.

No, you won’t always get exactly what you want, but also remember that there are lots of people who will never have what you have right now. Some of the things you take for granted someone else is praying for. Happiness never comes to those who don’t appreciate what they already have. So remind yourself: You did not go to sleep hungry last night. You had a choice of what to wear today. You have access to clean drinking water. You have access to the internet. You can read. The secret to being grateful is no secret. You choose to be grateful, for the little things.

6. Comparing yourself to everyone else.

Social comparison is a notorious thief of daily joy and progress. You could literally spend a lifetime worrying about what others have, but it wouldn’t get you anything worth having. Do your best to keep your comparison tendencies in check.

7. Obsessing over who you were or what you had in the past.

You’re not the same person you were a year ago, a month ago, or a week ago. You’re always evolving and growing. Experiences don’t stop… that’s life, and it’s a privilege!

8. Worrying about old mistakes.

It’s OK if you mess up in life — that’s how you get wiser. Give yourself a break. Great things take time, and you’re getting there. Let your mistakes be your motivation, not your excuses. Decide right now that yesterday’s little mistakes and frustrations won’t get in your way today.

9. Worrying about what everyone thinks of you.

Don’t take things too personally, even if it seems personal. Rarely do people do things because of you; they do things because of them. You honestly can’t change how people treat you or what they say about you. All you can do is change how you react and who you choose to be around. And remember that one of the most freeing things we learn in life is that we don’t have to like everyone, everyone doesn’t have to like us, and that’s perfectly OK. Because no matter how you live, someone will be disappointed. So just live your truth and be sure YOU aren’t the one who is disappointed in the end.

10. Self-deception.

Your life will improve only when you take small chances. And the first and most difficult chance you can take every day is to be honest with yourself.

11. Routines that don’t feel rewarding.

Life is to be enjoyed, not endured. When you truly believe in what you’re doing, it shows and it pays in the long run. Success in life is for those who put their heart and soul into their daily efforts. And as you struggle, remember, it’s far better to be exhausted from little bits of effort and learning, than it is to be tired of doing absolutely nothing.

12. Everyone else’s definition of success and happiness.

You simply can’t base your idea of success and happiness on other people’s opinions and expectations. And likewise, don’t judge someone else just because they do it differently than you. The world is changed by your example, not by your opinions and judgments.

13. People who keep trying to manipulate you.

In many cases, what you allow is what will continue. Give as much as you can, but don’t allow yourself to be continuously used. Listen to others closely, but don’t lose your own voice in the process. Set some boundaries when you must! (Note: Marc and I discuss this in detail in the Boundaries & Expectations chapter of “1,000 Little Habits of Happy, Successful Relationships”.)

14. Doubting and second-guessing yourself.

Remind yourself that you’re doing the best you can, and that sometimes it takes an overwhelming series of little breakdowns to have an undeniable breakthrough. When in doubt just take the next small step. Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Truly, there’s a time and place for everything, and every step is necessary. Just do your best right now, and don’t force what’s not yet supposed to fit into your life. It will happen, when it’s time.

15. Thinking the perfect time will come.

Some people wait all day for 5pm, all week for Friday, all year for the holidays, all their lives for happiness. Don’t be one of them! You can’t always wait for the perfect moment. Sometimes you must dare to do it because life is too short to wonder what could have been, again and again.

16. Avoidance and temporary fixes.

You can’t change what you refuse to fully confront. You can’t find peace or progress by avoiding things. Deal with problems directly before they deal with your long-term happiness and potential. Build sustainable habits that move your life forward, one day at a time.

17. Resentment.

Kindness is not to be mistaken for weakness, nor forgiveness for acceptance. It’s about knowing that resentment is not on the path to long-term happiness.

18. Hateful thoughts and gestures.

Set an example. Treat everyone with kindness and respect, even those who are rude to you — not because they are nice, but because you are. And do it for yourself too! What goes around comes around. No one has ever made themselves strong by showing how small someone else is.

19. Close-minded judgments.

The mind is like a parachute; it doesn’t work when it’s closed. So build friendships with people who aren’t your age. Spend time around those whose first language is different than your own. Get to know someone who doesn’t come from the same social class. Listen. Be humble and teachable. This is how you learn. This is how you see the world.

20. Trying to control the uncontrollable.

You can’t calm the storm. What you can do is calm yourself, and the storm will eventually pass. The most powerful and practical changes happen when you decide to take control of what you do have power over, instead of craving control over what you don’t.

Now it’s your turn!

Yes, it’s your turn to treat your limited time today with care. It’s your turn to make room for more joy. Because there’s a big difference between empty fatigue and gratifying exhaustion at the end of the day…

But before you go, please leave Marc and me a comment below and let us know what you think of this post. Your feedback is important to us.

Finally, if you haven’t done so already, be sure to sign-up for our free newsletter to receive new articles like this in your inbox each week.

“Do not ruin today with mourning tomorrow.”
— Catherynne M. Valente

Ever feel a little overwhelmed? Or really overwhelmed?

This quick read is for YOU…

Once upon a time there was a man who had been lost in the desert for three whole days without water. Just as he was about to collapse, he saw what appeared to be a lake a few hundred yards in front of him. “Could it be? Or is it just a mirage?” he thought to himself.

With the last bit of strength he could muster, he staggered toward the lake and quickly learned that his prayers had been answered: it was no mirage — it was indeed a large spring-fed lake full of more fresh water than he could ever drink in his lifetime. Yet while he was practically dying of thirst, he couldn’t bring himself to drink the water. He simply stood by the water’s edge and stared down at it.

There was a passerby riding on a camel from a nearby desert town who was watching the man’s bizarre behavior. She got off her camel, walked up to the thirsty man and asked, “Why don’t you have a drink, sir?”

He looked up at the woman with an exhausted, distraught expression on his face and tears welling up in his eyes. “I think I’m dying of thirst,” he said, “But there is way too much water here in this lake to drink. No matter what I do, I can’t possibly finish it all.”

The passerby smiled softly, bent down, scooped some water up with her hands, lifted it to the man’s mouth and said, “Sir, your opportunity right now, and as you move forward throughout the rest of your life, is to understand that you don’t have to drink the whole lake to quench your thirst. You can simply take one sip — just one small sip… and then another if you choose. Focus only on the mouthful in front of you, and most of your anxiety, fear, and overwhelm about the rest will gradually fade.”

. . .

If that story resonates at all right now, it’s time for a few wake-up calls:

1. In life, we can’t take more than one sip at a time.

Challenge yourself today to focus solely on the sip (task, step, etc.) you’re actually taking. Honestly, that’s all life is — small, positive actions that you take moment by moment. Then one day when you look back it all adds up to something worthwhile — something that’s often far different, and better, than what you had imagined when you started.

And if you’re having trouble sorting out where to start, remember that writing things down helps. Everything usually seems far more overwhelming in our heads. So get out of your head by writing everything down in tiny tasks (that can be tackled gradually). The smaller the better too. Writing the list can even be one of the tasks (see, you already checked the first thing off). Then you can do the next tiny thing and check it off, and the next. Doing so builds a gradual sense of achievement and a degree of control over your world, which reduces the overwhelm, or at least enables you to cope as you move forward… one “sip” at a time.

2. We all do too many things that don’t need to be done.

Our lives get incredibly complicated, not overnight, but gradually. And the complications creep up on us…

Today I order a few things on Amazon, tomorrow someone gives me a birthday present, then I get excited and I enroll in a free giveaway at church and I win, so then I decide I need a new six-foot cabinet to store my growing pile of stuff. One item at a time, the clutter builds up in my space, because I keep adding new things without purging the old.

And the cycle continues in all walks of life too…

Today I say yes to a Facebook party invitation, tomorrow I say yes when a neighbor asks me to help him move some furniture, then I get asked to a quick lunch meeting, then I decide to volunteer at my son’s youth group. One yes at a time, and soon my life is so busy and complicated I’m losing control and I don’t know where I went wrong.

And because I’m feeling stressed, I distract myself…

I read a couple articles on Apple News, then I flip over to social media, then my email, and then I check my phone and watch a cute video of my niece that my sister texted… and soon another day is gone, and I didn’t get anything done, and my life gets sucked away one small “sip” at a time, and I feel overwhelmed with what’s left undone.

How do we protect against this vicious cycle?

We have to take a step back on a regular basis and reevaluate what we’re actually doing and why.

Instead of thinking, “Oh my gosh there’s too much to do!”… let’s ask, “Should I actually be doing all of this?”

The bottom line is that people never get more done by blindly working more hours on everything that comes up. Instead they get more done when they follow careful plans that measure and track key priorities and milestones. So if you want to be more successful and less stressed, don’t ask how to make something quicker and more efficient until you’ve first asked, “Do I need to do this at all?” Simply being able to do something well does not make it the right thing to do. And if you think about it, it’s actually kind of ironic that we complain we have so little time, and then we prioritize like time is infinite. So do your best to focus on what’s truly important, and not much else. (Note: Angel and I discuss this in more detail in the Success chapter of “1,000 Little Things Happy, Successful People Do Differently”.)

3. It’s necessary to say “NO” to some really good things.

We all have opportunities and obligations, but a healthy and productive routine can only be found in the long run by properly managing your yeses. And yes, sometimes you have to say “no” to really good opportunities and obligations. You can’t always be agreeable — that’s how people take advantage of you. And that’s how you end up taking advantage of yourself too. You have to set clear boundaries!

You might have to say no to certain favors, work projects, community associations, church activities, volunteer groups… coaching your kid’s sports teams, or some other seemingly worthwhile activity. I know what you’re thinking: it seems unfair to say no when these are very worthwhile things to do — it pains you to say no! But you must, because the alternative is that you’re going to do a poor job at each one, be stressed out, feel like you’re stuck in an endless cycle of busyness, and eventually you’ll reach a breaking point.

Truth be told, the main thing that keeps so many of us stuck in a debilitating cycle of overwhelm is the fantasy in our minds that we can be everything to everyone, everywhere at once, and a hero on all fronts. But again, that’s not reality. The reality is you’re not Superman or Wonder Woman — you’re human and you have limits. So you have to let go of that idea of doing everything, pleasing everyone, and being everywhere.

In the end, you’re either going to do a few things well, or everything poorly.

Now it’s YOUR turn…

Yes, it’s your turn to embrace the difference between being committed to the right things and being overcommitted to everything. It’s your turn to leave space on your calendar, to keep your life ordered and your schedule under-booked, and to create a foundation with a soft place to land, a wide margin of error, and room to think and breathe.

But before you go, please leave Angel and me a comment below and let us know what you think of this essay. Your feedback is important to us.

Which point above resonated the most? How has overwhelm affected you recently?

Finally, if you haven’t done so already, be sure to sign-up for our free newsletter to receive new articles like this in your inbox each week.

In the latest episode, I sit down with Rob Shallenberger—CEO of Becoming Your Best Global Leadership and one of the world’s foremost authorities on productivity and time management. Rob’s background is as dynamic as it is inspiring: from flying F-16s and serving as an Advance Agent for Air Force One to training Fortune 500 companies and governments alike.

We focus on the updated second edition of his bestselling book Do What Matters Most, diving deep into the transformative power of pre-week planning, the productivity quotient, and why it’s crucial to schedule your priorities rather than just prioritize your schedule. Rob’s mission is clear—help people lead lives by design, not by default.

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Six Discussion Points

• How task saturation leads to misprioritization—and how to combat it
• Rob’s four-step pre-week planning system and how it creates peace and balance
• The productivity quotient: why aiming for 70–80% is the sweet spot
• Real-life stories that show how planning changes lives—including generational impact
• How Rob’s military background shaped his approach to time and leadership
• The role of AI in planning—why it’s a tool, not a replacement for human intuition

Three Connection Points

This conversation with Rob left me both inspired and affirmed in my belief that quality productivity stems from intentional design. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed or stuck in reactive mode, Rob’s framework provides both structure and flexibility. I encourage you to test out his pre-week planning approach—just four weeks can make a meaningful difference.

Want to support the podcast? You can subscribe to the show and leave quick rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts. You can subscribe on Spotify and also on Apple Podcasts.

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In this very special “Ask Mike Anything” edition of the podcast, the tables turn. TimeCrafting Trust Premium member and all-around thoughtful guy Tim O’Hare steps in to host and ask me questions submitted by listeners—and some of his own. From the value of journaling to the nuances of urgency, we explore what it truly means to right the ship when your time management feels off course.

This is a raw and reflective episode, recorded live with audience interaction. We talk through everything from tech transitions and app overload to the dangers of measuring productivity purely by numbers. If you’ve ever felt like you know what to do but still can’t quite get it done, there’s something here for you.

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Six Discussion Points

• Why journaling is my go-to tool for daily course correction—and why it’s easier than most people think
• How to close the gap between vision and reality using urgency, importance, and thoughtful task breakdown
• Navigating forced software transitions without losing your workflow (or your mind)
• How AI can help (or hurt) your attention and task clarity, depending on how you use it
• How to make progress on tasks you’re procrastinating—even if you “know better”
• Why I focus more on productiveness than productivity, and how to measure what really matters

Three Connection Points

Whether you’re new to TimeCrafting or a longtime practitioner, this conversation highlights what so many of us wrestle with: the difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it. If you’ve been stuck, scattered, or just seeking clarity, I hope these answers light a way forward.

Want to support the podcast? You can subscribe to the show and leave quick rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts. You can subscribe on Spotify and also on Apple Podcasts.

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