Sleep In And Still Get Back Hours Every Day

I’ve been waking up rather early (5am) and this gives me a few extra hours than folks who sleep in more regularly. Cool, right? But maybe you’re not an early bird. Maybe you would much rather sleep in. I can still show you how to get back some hours every day. It’s a bit tricky, but you’ll get it.

Extra Time Just Laying Around Waiting for You

You want it? Here’s the entirety of the trick: decide.

We burn mountains of time deliberating, having second thoughts, doubting, over-preparing. You could get back hours every day, many it might be, simply by deciding.

Pick a week (or two) for your next vacation. Apply for the new job. Tell the person you want to go out on a date. Whatever the thing is, do it. Just choose and decide.

And if you want to get even faster, reduce decision points. I have a simple closet with shirts on the left side, pants on the right side. They all more or less go together. (Look - I am allergic to fashion. No one has ever looked at something I’m wearing and considered it fashionable.) This means I can reach out with my eyes closed and wear any shirt and any pair of pants and it’ll look like I’m human enough. One less decision point.

Decide. We eat a lot of time thinking about food. Planning your meals, asking others what they want, etc. It’s such a lot of time.

Ditto what to watch. You can have more time back if you know what you’re going to watch on TV or streaming, once you decide what you want faster than others do.

Oh, But What If I’m Wrong, Chris?

It so rarely matters. Decide. Should you quit your job? Sure. If you have some vague plan. Or if you hate the current job enough. Whatever. Just decide.

What if you’re wrong? Can you decide something else? Can you go back? Can you find a new frame to decide a different way, or pick the next best path?

It just so rarely changes things significantly. It reminds me of that bit from Lyle Lovett’s “Here I am:”

Look

I understand too little too late

I realize there are things you say and do

You can never take back

But what would you be if you didn't even try

You have to try

So after a lot of thought

I'd like to reconsider

Please

If it's not too late

Make it a cheeseburger

-

Is this you? Can you get some time back from deciding? What’s the best that’s going to happen?

Chris…