USE YOUR TIME TO CRUSH YOUR GOALS | Top 10 time management tips for Indians | Abhi and Niyu

Summary

This video offers 10 practical tips to improve time management and lead a balanced life. It challenges the common excuse of 'not having time' by emphasizing the importance of prioritization and recognizing downtime. The speaker shares personal experiences and strategies such as identifying a 'power hour' for peak productivity, using boredom as a motivator, and focusing on the Most Important Task (MIT) each day. The key takeaway is that time cannot be saved but can be better utilized with the right mindset and approach.

Takeaways

• 😀 Prioritize what truly matters: Everyone has the same amount of time; it's about prioritizing activities that are important to you.
• 😌 Stop lying to yourself: Recognize that saying 'I don't have time' often means the task isn't a priority.
• 🕒 Understand your available time: Calculate your 'downtime' or the hours in a week that are not occupied by essential activities.
• 📓 Use a notebook or digital tool: Capture ideas and plans to free up your brain's 'storage space' for creativity.
• 🔍 Identify your downtime: Recognize the periods in your week that can be utilized for personal growth or relaxation.
• ⏰ Utilize downtime effectively: Even small amounts of time, like 10 minutes for meditation or 30 minutes for learning, can be impactful.
• 🌟 Find your power hour: Determine the time of day when you are most productive and schedule important tasks for that period.
• 🎮 Address the motivation problem: Gamify tasks to make them enjoyable and increase motivation.
• 📚 Use boredom as a motivator: Leverage the brain's aversion to boredom to push yourself towards productivity.
• 🚫 Eliminate distractions: Use tools like browser blockers to remove temptations and focus on important tasks.
• 📋 Focus on one Most Important Task (MIT): Prioritize completing the most significant task of the day early to free up the rest of your time.
• 💡 You can't save time: Time is non-renewable; the goal is to use it better, not to save it.
• 🛣️ Start with the right direction: Understand that it's okay to have off days, but strive to make daily progress towards your goals.

Q & A

What is the main message of the video about time management?

The main message of the video is that the issue is not the lack of time, but rather the lack of direction and prioritization. It encourages viewers to be honest with themselves about what they truly want to do and to manage their time effectively to achieve a balanced life.

Why does the video suggest not to lie to ourselves about our time?

The video suggests not to lie to ourselves because when we say we don't have time for something, we often mean it's not a priority. Lying to ourselves can lead to believing our own excuses, which can prevent us from making time for what truly matters.

How many hours are available in a week according to the script?

According to the script, there are 168 hours in a week (24 hours per day multiplied by 7 days).

What is the concept of 'downtime' explained in the video?

The concept of 'downtime' refers to the time outside of one's main work or commitments. It's the time that can be used for personal development, hobbies, or other activities that contribute to a balanced life.

What is the significance of identifying one's 'power hour' as mentioned in the script?

Identifying one's 'power hour' is significant because it's the time of day when a person is most creative and energetic. The video suggests using this time to tackle the most important and creative tasks of the day.

Why does the video advise against making to-do lists for important tasks?

The video advises against making to-do lists for important tasks because they can be overwhelming and may not motivate action. Instead, it suggests focusing on the 'Most Important Task' (MIT) of the day and completing it first.

What is the 'MIT' method suggested in the video for handling important tasks?

The 'MIT' method stands for 'Most Important Task'. It involves identifying the one task that will make the most significant impact on the day and completing it first, ensuring that time is well utilized.

How does the video suggest using boredom as a motivational tool?

The video suggests using boredom as a motivational tool by removing distractions and creating an environment where the only option is to engage in productive work, as the brain naturally seeks to avoid boredom.

What is the 'going cold turkey' method mentioned in the video?

The 'going cold turkey' method refers to the abrupt cessation of a habit or addiction. In the context of the video, it involves blocking time-wasting websites on the work browser to eliminate the temptation and focus on tasks.

Why does the video emphasize that time cannot be saved?

The video emphasizes that time cannot be saved because it is a non-renewable resource. It suggests that instead of trying to save time, we should focus on utilizing it more effectively and making the most of each moment.

What are the three questions the video suggests asking oneself for effective time management?

The three questions are: 1) Exactly how much downtime do you have in a week? 2) What is your MIT (Most Important Task) for the day? 3) When is your power hour of the day?

Outlines

00:00

🕒 Prioritizing Time: Overcoming Excuses

This paragraph addresses the common excuse of 'not having time' and emphasizes the importance of recognizing that everyone has the same amount of time each day. The speaker shares 10 tips to improve time management and productivity, starting with the advice to stop lying to oneself about time constraints. It highlights that often, when we say we don't have time, we mean that the task is not a priority. The speaker encourages viewers to be honest with themselves about their priorities and to make better use of their 24 hours a day.

05:03

📈 Mathematical Approach to Time Management

The speaker introduces a mathematical approach to understanding the amount of time available each week, after accounting for sleep and work. By calculating the remaining 'downtime,' the audience is encouraged to identify and utilize this time effectively. The paragraph also introduces the concept of 'downtime' as an opportunity for productivity outside of main work or commitments. Additionally, the speaker recommends using a notebook or digital app to capture ideas and plans, suggesting a personal method involving a code word for organizing thoughts over time.

10:05

🌟 Harnessing Downtime and Finding Your Power Hour

Building on the concept of downtime, the speaker challenges the audience to consider whether they truly need more time by highlighting that even a small amount of daily time can significantly contribute to health, learning, and personal growth. The paragraph introduces the idea of a 'power hour,' a period during the day when an individual is most productive and creative. The speaker advises identifying this time and using it for the most important tasks. The paragraph also touches on the importance of motivation and suggests that gamifying tasks can increase enjoyment and productivity.

🎯 Embracing Boredom and the MIT Principle

The speaker discusses the use of boredom as a motivational tool, referencing an experiment where participants chose to shock themselves to avoid boredom. The paragraph suggests removing distractions, such as blocking time-wasting websites, as a method to increase focus on tasks. The speaker also criticizes traditional to-do lists for important tasks, proposing instead the 'MIT' (Most Important Task) approach, which involves identifying and completing one significant task each day to enhance the feeling of effective time usage.

🚀 Maximizing Productivity Through Time Utilization

In the final paragraph, the speaker emphasizes that time is a non-renewable resource that cannot be saved but only utilized better. They suggest that by focusing on the most important task first and finding supplementary ways to accomplish other tasks, such as listening to audiobooks during exercise, significant progress can be made. The speaker concludes with the idea that time management is crucial and offers three reflective questions to help the audience better understand and utilize their downtime, MIT, and power hour.

Keywords

💡Productivity

Productivity refers to the efficiency with which an individual or system performs tasks or produces goods and services. In the video, the theme of productivity is central, as the speaker discusses various tips to help viewers achieve more within their day and improve their relationship with time. For example, the speaker mentions '...you will be able to improve, the relationship you have with your time...' and '...you will be able to achieve a lot, in your day and be productive,' emphasizing the importance of managing time effectively to enhance productivity.

💡Time Management

Time management is the process of planning and controlling how much time is spent on specific activities to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity. The video script emphasizes the importance of time management through tips such as '...you will be able to improve, the relationship you have with your time...' and by asking '...how much downtime do you have in a week?' The concept is integral to the video's message, suggesting that understanding and organizing one's available time is key to achieving a balanced and productive life.

💡Prioritization

Prioritization is the act of arranging tasks or activities in order of importance. The script touches on this concept when it states, 'When we say that we do not have time for something, we actually mean that that thing is not our priority.' This highlights the idea that individuals often claim a lack of time when, in reality, they have not prioritized certain activities, which is a crucial aspect of effective time management.

💡Downtime

Downtime refers to periods of time when a machine or system is not operating or when an individual is not engaged in their primary work or activity. In the video, downtime is redefined as the time available for activities other than the main work, as mentioned in '...let's call it downtime.' The speaker encourages viewers to identify and utilize their downtime effectively, such as '...identify this number, and write it on a paper,' to enhance personal productivity.

💡Procrastination

Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing tasks or actions. The video addresses this concept through the speaker's comments on the ease of engaging in unproductive activities like '...scrolling through the reels at the start of the day lying in bed...' and contrasts it with the difficulty of starting important tasks. Procrastination is presented as a barrier to productivity that the tips in the video aim to help overcome.

💡Motivation

Motivation is the drive or desire to do something. The script discusses the issue of motivation, or lack thereof, in the context of engaging in productive activities, as in '...but if you would have been happy doing all these easy things, then maybe you would not have clicked on this video...' The speaker suggests that finding enjoyment in tasks is key to motivation, which is essential for overcoming procrastination and increasing productivity.

💡Gamification

Gamification is the application of game-design elements and game principles in non-game contexts to engage users and solve problems. The video mentions gamification in the context of making tasks enjoyable to increase motivation, as the speaker says, '...till me don't gamify our tasks, we do not enjoy doing those tasks.' Gamification is presented as a strategy to transform mundane or difficult tasks into more engaging and motivating activities.

💡Boredom

Boredom is a state of being weary or uninterested due to a lack of stimulation. The video script presents boredom as a powerful motivator, as seen in '...that is the biggest motivator in the world, and that is boredom.' The speaker discusses an experiment where participants chose to shock themselves to avoid boredom, illustrating the lengths to which people will go to escape this state and its potential as a tool for productivity.

💡To-Do List

A to-do list is a record of tasks that need to be completed. The video challenges the effectiveness of traditional to-do lists for important tasks, as the speaker states, '...I personally don't like to-do lists much...' Instead, the speaker introduces the concept of MIT (Most Important Task), suggesting that focusing on one major task each day can lead to better utilization of time and increased productivity.

💡Power Hour

Power hour refers to a specific time of the day when an individual is most productive or creative. The video encourages viewers to identify their power hour, as mentioned in '...try to do the most important work of your day, the most creative work in this power hour.' This concept is tied to the idea that scheduling the most critical tasks during one's peak energy times can lead to greater efficiency and accomplishment.

💡Self-Improvement

Self-improvement encompasses efforts to enhance one's knowledge, skills, and personal well-being. The video's overarching theme is self-improvement, as it aims to provide tips for viewers to '...live a balanced life' and 'make you 1% better.' The script discusses various strategies for self-improvement, such as time management, prioritization, and finding motivation, all of which contribute to personal growth and development.

Highlights

The video offers 10 tips to help viewers achieve more and live a balanced life by improving their relationship with time.

A personal revelation is shared: the tips discussed have significantly transformed the speaker's life.

The importance of not lying to oneself about time constraints is emphasized; it's about prioritization.

A mathematical approach to understanding available time is introduced, highlighting 168 hours per week.

The concept of 'downtime' is explained as the time for activities other than main work.

The advice to carry a notebook or use a digital tool to capture ideas immediately is given.

The speaker suggests using downtime for activities like exercise, learning, and meditation.

The idea of finding one's 'power hour' for peak productivity is discussed.

Motivation is linked to the enjoyment of tasks, suggesting gamification as a strategy.

Boredom is presented as a scientific tool for motivation, using examples from experiments and history.

The strategy of 'going cold turkey' to eliminate distractions is recommended.

The concept of MIT (Most Important Task) is introduced as an alternative to traditional to-do lists.

The speaker advises against saving time and instead focuses on utilizing it better through effective management.

Three key questions for effective time management are proposed: downtime, MIT, and power hour.

The video concludes with an encouragement to take daily steps in the right direction for self-improvement.

Transcripts

I want to learn guitar but don't have time.

I want to exercise every day but don't have time.

I want to spend time with my friends, and family,

and make memories, but there is no time.

If you also talk like this to yourself, then this video is for you,

because in the next few minutes, we will share with you 10 such tips,

with the help of which you will be able to achieve a lot

in your day and be productive, you will be able to improve

the relationship you have with your time,

and most importantly, you will be able to live a balanced life.

This video is special because the secrets that I am going to share with you here

have completely changed my personal life.

If you get help from these tips, then do not forget to subscribe to the channel,

because we are going to share more practical tips like this in the future.

Let's start the countdown, but here's a rule,

I'm not going to give you a tip that requires you to do extraordinary effort,

because then you will follow this advice for 2 days,

and then forget it on the third day.

These tips will be simple, practical, and actionable.

Tip number 10: Stop lying to yourself.

There is definitely a friend in every group who spoils every plan.

That traitor betrayed us, Babu bro!

He is never free for any plan, and he always gives the same answer,

I don't have time.

If there is no such friend in your group,

then it's possible that you are that friend.

Understand this, everyone has 24 hours in a day,

and the truth is that all of us can make space in our schedule for any plan

if we want to make that space.

When we say that we do not have time for something,

we actually mean that that thing is not our priority.

But can we tell this honestly to our family or our friends?

No way! There will be drama!

So we take the simple route.

We say that we are busy, the workload is too much,

or some other plan has been made.

It is one thing to give excuses to others,

but the problem arises when we start believing these excuses

to be true for ourselves.

Then we start giving these excuses for our own plans,

that is, we start lying to ourselves.

By repeatedly giving the same excuse, we give a signal to our own mind,

we start considering this excuse as truth,

and then there is no time left for us either.

That's why tip number 10 is whether to lie to others or not is up to you,

but at least don't lie to yourself.

There is no time, this is a lie. It is not a priority, this is true.

Tip number 9: Where is the extra time?

Start seeing time mathematically, not emotionally.

Understand this, there are 24 hours in a day, and no one can hustle for 26 hours,

in fact, you can't hustle for 24 hours either.

So, how much time do you have exactly?

You don't have to be a productivity guru to understand that.

24*7 = 168, which means you have 168 hours in a week.

Considering that you sleep for 8 hours,

then 56 of those hours have passed, leaving 112 hours.

If you have any other commitments like school, college, or office,

then remove the number of hours you work there.

For example, let's take 8 to 9 hours, so 9 times 6 is 54, subtract 54 from 112,

still, we are left with 58 hours.

This is your time. Learn to use it.

How?

Tip number 8: Concept of downtime.

Now you will say that in these 58 hours,

I have not covered everything like travel time, extra classes, tuitions,

which is fair.

So it would not be right to call these 58 hours as free time.

So let's give it another name, let's call it downtime.

In the days of the Industrial Revolution,

when the machine of the factory used to be shut,

then that time used to be downtime for the workers,

which means time to do anything other than the main work.

This downtime may not be 58 hours for you,

if you waste 2 hours every day, then this time may be 46 hours a week.

But the important thing is that whatever this number may be,

identify this number, and write it on a paper.

Tip number 7 is the use of paper.

Big creators, songwriters, and authors keep a notebook in every room,

because a good idea can come anytime,

and it is important to note it down there and then,

because our brain is the world's best computer in creativity,

but its storage space is zero.

When we put pressure on our brain to store our thoughts, ideas, future plans,

then our creativity decreases, instead use a notebook,

or even better use a digital notebook.

Today there are many apps that you can use to jot down notes,

or you can create a group with yourself on WhatsApp and send messages to yourself,

or you can send emails.

A bonus tip here is to use a code word that

only you know for your idea group or email.

Write this codeword in the subject of your email.

I have been following this tip for the last 12 years,

and it helps me a lot even today.

Whenever I search my code word, all those things come out that

I have stored for 12 years.

Tip number 6 is the use of downtime.

Coming back to your downtime, 46 hours per week.

Now a question for you.

Isn't 46 hours a week enough for all the things you really want to do?

Of course, it's enough.

In fact, only 45 minutes a day is enough for better health.

Only 30 minutes a day is enough to learn any new skill online,

just 10 minutes is enough to do meditation.

Often such posts become very viral on the internet that

some person starts their day by getting up at 4:00 am,

and someone starts exercising at 3:30 am in the morning.

I find such posts quite useless.

Just as all five fingers of the hand are not the same,

similarly no two human beings are the same.

The schedule that works for me, may not work for you.

But the point is to find your power hour.

Power hour is the time of the day when you are most creative,

you are most energetic, you are most active.

After finding this power hour, try to do the most important work of your day,

the most creative work in this power hour.

So after this video, this myth should be removed from your mind that

you do not have time, because the real problem is not time,

the real problem is motivation.

Tip number 5: Motivation problem.

It's easy to scroll through the reels at the start of the day lying in bed.

It is easy to leave pending work and watch memes on YouTube for hours.

It is easy to play video games without getting tired, without stopping.

But if you would have been happy doing all these easy things,

then maybe you would not have clicked on this video,

and would not have watched this video for so long.

The truth is that you know there are certain habits that are holding you back.

You also want to get rid of these habits, but you do not know how.

Let me give you a simple example.

Have you ever seen kids playing in the garden?

Kids go up and down on a slide 20-30 times,

and just keep playing without getting tired.

If you tell the same kids that the lift has broken down,

and you have to go up 10 floors,

they will not be able to climb more than 4 floors,

but the same children happily climb on the slide.

Why?

Because one work is fun and the other is a punishment.

And this is the secret of motivation.

Till me don't gamify our tasks, we do not enjoy doing those tasks.

And if we do not enjoy them, there will be no motivation whatsoever.

There is a great Ted talk on this concept that you must watch.

Number 4: The best tool for motivation.

Do you want motivation?

I will give you a scientific tool that is the biggest motivator in the world,

and that is boredom.

10 years ago, an experiment was done at the University of Virginia.

The participants of the experiment were left alone in a room one by one.

There was nothing to do in that room, it was dark,

and there was only a button on which it was written,

Do Not Press,

because people got a shock by pressing that button.

What's interesting is that a lot of participants didn't do anything

in the room for a long time,

but then they pressed that button, pressed it over and over again,

knowing it was going to give them a shock,

because our brains runs away from boredom.

That is, if we get a choice in life to be bored or do some work

that we actually do not like, then still we would like to do that work,

even if that work is useless, like giving ourselves a shock.

During the World War,

when any information had to be extracted from the prisoners,

they were tortured, and the most brutal level of this torture

was solitary confinement,

where people were left in jail without any interaction, without any light.

Now you think what if we can use boredom as a tool?

Tip number 3: Boredom as a tool.

Now we are moving towards the most important and most practical

tips of this video.

When I say use boredom as a tool, what do I mean?

I mean remove the distraction.

It often happens to me that whenever I go to the internet

to research for a video, I see YouTube.

A trailer of a new film has come on YouTube,

or my favorite creator has uploaded a new video.

So I do what any smart person would do, leave my work and click on the video.

But what if I use a different browser for the research of my video?

Means one browser for timepass and another browser for research.

I have identified which are the websites on which I waste the most time,

those sites are blocked on my work browser,

which means I do not get that temptation.

This method is called going cold turkey.

That is, not gradually, but suddenly put a stop to a bad action or an addiction.

Tip number 2 is don't make a to-do lists.

I personally don't like to-do lists much.

Yes, to-do lists as reminders are very useful for small tasks,

but when it comes to important tasks, they don't work.

I have a better method.

MIT- Most Important Task.

Ask yourself a question every day,

what work do I want to do today that will make me feel that today my time

has been well utilized?

Focus on that one big thing, and most importantly,

instead of putting that task on a to-do list,

get done the important task in the first place itself.

Finished the most important task at the beginning of the day itself

so that the remaining time is free for you.

There are 365 days in a year,

and just think that if you are able to do such 365 important tasks in a year!

A task that made you feel better, which gave you happiness,

which made you a better student, a better employee,

or a better human being, then that makes a good year.

Leaving the important tasks aside,

look for supplementary alternatives for the remaining tasks.

Nowadays, due to work, I do not get time to read books, so I listen to audiobooks.

Audiobooks are on while I run on the treadmill at the gym,

I never board a flight without a book so I have something to do in those 2 hours,

and these little things make a big difference.

And last tip, tip number 1 is you can't save time.

Time is the world's most valuable and non-renewable resource,

and time is something you just can't save.

Imagine if you took a bus instead of taking a taxi,

it would cost you only ₹10 instead of ₹100,

which means you made a better decision and saved ₹90.

Now you can buy something with ₹90, save them, or invest them,

but you cannot save time, you can only utilize it better.

If today you do not get traffic on the way,

and you reach office 10 minutes early,

then these 10 minutes are not deposited in your account,

you have to utilize 10 minutes there and then.

And for this reason, time management is the most important

yet the most neglected skill in the world.

Start time management with these 3 questions.

Number 1: Exactly how much downtime do you have in a week?

Number 2: What is your MIT for the day?

Number 3: When is your power hour of the day?

Look, I'm no productivity guru myself.

Every day is different, every month is different, every year is different,

and there are so many things that are out of our control.

A family emergency throws the entire schedule into turmoil,

exercising while traveling is always difficult, and no matter how hard you try,

at some point or the other, discipline just slips away.

The trick is to understand that it is okay,

because it's a new morning every day, you get a new beginning to become better,

24 hours are deposited in your account every day,

which are not indebted to the previous day,

and are not even responsible for the next day.

Take one step every day in the right direction.

Now what is the right direction?

You know it yourself, not me, and if you haven't found this right direction,

then keep trying.

If you got value from this video, please don't forget to follow us on social media.

We will keep bringing videos on self-improvement, and make you 1% better,

because often people keep complaining about lack of time.

But the truth is that it is not the lack of time, but lack of direction,

and conveying this important thing to you matters to me.

Hey friends, thank you so much for watching this video till the end.

If you are new here, then don't forget to subscribe to the channel.

In this video, we explained the problems in the Indian education system.

How can you make this year the best year of your life, you can watch it here.

Thank you so much for watching because your support matters to us.