'Because You Have Time Does Not Mean You Have the Brain Space'

Here’s is to one of the many lessons I have learnt in 2024. Last year, I attended a seminar where a speaker shared a thought that deeply resonated with me:?“Because you have time does not mean you have the brain space.”

You see, there’s a lie I’ve been guilty of telling myself and maybe you have, too. “If I just had more time, I’d finally get it done.”?More time to write, to think, to fix whatever feels broken. But here’s the catch: when I finally get the time those wide, open hours that seem full of possibility nothing happens.

I sit down, ready to tackle whatever I’ve been putting off. The clock ticks. The hours blend. And still, nothing. No progress. No breakthroughs. Just this gnawing sense of guilt, as though I’m squandering something rare and precious.

And now I understand, time and capacity are not the same.

Just because your calendar looks empty doesn’t mean your mind is clear. the brain, is like a room, it has limits. When it’s cluttered with worry, distractions, and half-finished thoughts, there’s no room left for creativity or focus to take root. Even with all the time in the world, it’s impossible to work in a space where every surface is piled high with the things you haven’t dealt with yet.

It’s not laziness. It’s not even procrastination. It’s what I’ve come to think of as?overwhelm.

And the truth is, sometimes you need to clear the mental clutter before you can create anything meaningful. But clearing clutter takes effort, too. It takes honesty the kind that forces you to admit that you’re stretched too thin, that your energy is scattered, andthat no amount of time can force you into productivity if your mind isn’t ready.

This is where the real work begins. Not in grinding through the task but in stepping back and giving yourself permission to?‘not’?do it, at least not yet. It’s about granting yourself the grace to rest, recharge, and clear the mental debris. It’s realizing that brain space isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity.

Without it, time alone is meaningless. It’s like having a soccer team with no ball or planting seeds in dry, unfertile soil. Nothing grows. Nothing moves. You need both time and capacity to bring your best ideas and efforts to life.

So the next time you find yourself staring at an empty schedule, wondering why you can’t seem to get anything done, ask yourself this instead:

• What’s crowding my mind?
• What’s draining my energy?
• What do I need to let go of to make room for what truly matters?

Because greatness doesn’t just need hours. It needs?space. Real, mental space to breathe, to expand, to unfold. And sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is not to fill the hours, but to empty the room.