People who are close to me know that I desire to be intentional with my time. I am at my best when I am well rested, when I have margin in my day, and when I can look back over the day and recognize where I spent time on relationships. I’m also committed to leaving my computer at work as often as possible and using my down time to read and to rest. Laura Vanderkam has become a favorite writer over the past few years and I appreciate her intentionality with her time. Off the Clock was a great read about giving our best at work…and then disconnecting and giving our best at home.
I highlighted several things while reading and have posted those notes below…
- Feeling off the clock is exhilarating. It is a key component of human happiness. And yet a life is lived in hours, and living the good life requires being a proper steward of those hours. p. 3
- Rich memories can expand time both as they are being created and in the rearview mirror. p. 8
- Why is today different from all other days? Why should my brain bother holding on to the existence of this day as it curates the museum of my memories? p. 64
- The anticipating self is wondering about, planning, and worrying about the future.
- The experiencing self is in the here and now.
- The remembering self things back to the past. p. 71
- Time is a choice, with the understanding that you must deal with the consequences of your choices. p. 97
- When you do an activity, ask yourself two questions: Will I ever do this again? If so, is there some system I could develop or something I could do now that would make future instances faster or easier? p. 107
- Time is elastic. It stretches to accommodate what we choose to put into it. p. 153
- The discipline of joy requires holding in the mind simultaneously that this too shall pass and that this too is good. p. 166
- Tend your garden:
- What do I like about my schedule?
- What would I like to spend more time doing?
- What would I like to spend less time doing?
- How can I make that happen? p. 232