We have too much free time, actually

If you are like me and you like complaining that you do not have enough time to do stuff that you would like to do, then I can give you a change in perspective that might prove useful to you one day.

If you think about it, all of us have exactly 24 hours in one day. Approximately one-third of it is spent on sleeping, and we know that you cannot save that time or use it differently besides sleep because of all of the negative effects the lack of sleep has on our body and mind.

If you sleep 7 to 8 hours every night, you are left with about 16 hours to use as you like. Let's say you work 8 hours every day, plus 2 hours that you spend commuting to your job and doing your basic physiological needs like eating and keeping up your hygiene, you are left with 6 hours of “free time”.

This “free time” is even longer on the weekends and days off.

If we consider that you live a balanced life and use 3 of those 6 hours of social bonding with family and friends or some sort of physical activity, you are still left with 3 hours each day that practically go to waste.

Some may argue that you need to rest after hard work and that you are too tired to use those remaining hours doing something productive. Well, I would argue that if you sleep consistently for 8 hours every night, you would basically eliminate the need for naps and lying around in the afternoon.

I'm not saying that you have to meticulously plan every detail in your day to maximize productivity and that everything always goes as planned. Sometimes you just feel lazy without any valid reason, and you deserve to be a couch potato for a few hours. The problem is the frequency with which these unpredictable events occur. If you spend 1 or two days lying on your couch in those 3 hours of free time, then it's perfectly understandable. But if you spend every day of the week doing absolutely nothing, you are wasting your precious time, at least in my opinion.

My argument is that those 3 to 4 hours can be spent more meaningfully.

What I don't like is the idea that we can easily waste 3 to 4 hours every day, and more often than not, waste them completely unconsciously.

So the next question is, how do we waste those 3 to 4 hours every day?

1) Social media

Social media is undoubtedly one of the biggest time-wasters in today's world. If you could consciously think of all the time you spend scrolling on your phone, you would be amazed by how much of your time goes to waste. One of the reasons smartphones are so effective at stealing your time compared to a computer or a laptop is their accessibility in every moment. Just think of all the time you spend liking someone's posts while sitting on the toilet. While quitting social media seems like a good idea, it is hard to promote your work and build a portfolio without a decent social media presence. Instead, you can delete social media apps from your phone and use them on your computer, or at least restrict their usage by using other apps.

I think technology is an amazing thing that skyrocketed our happiness and well-being. I do not suggest you live like an Amish, but be conscious of how you spend time using that technology.  If you are trying to build an online business or are an investor who needs to know what is happening in the world, I understand that scrolling all day is a part of your job. I’m saying that you need to be mindful of what content you consume. You might need to be caught up with the latest news, but you can do that without falling into the trap of doomscrolling when you don’t need to.

2) Poor organization

Organizing your day is one of the best things you can do to help you use every hour effectively.

You probably heard about the organizational skills of famous CEOs or entrepreneurs. Elon Musk, for example, organizes his whole day into 5-minute blocks of time. Of course, that is an extreme example, but still a piece of worthy information on how the top successful people operate on a daily basis. You don't need to go to such extreme lengths to be more efficient with your time, but having a stable schedule of your obligations has its benefits.

I had big problems with organizing my day since a lot of things can go unpredictably and come up all of a sudden. For that reason, I developed a method of fluid schedule by which I can plan my day in big chunks that can be swapped with each other, and then plan details inside each chunk of time when a certain chunk of time starts.

For example, I need to change oil in my car, see my girlfriend, and get a haircut tomorrow afternoon. I know that changing oil in my car might take me about 30 minutes, getting a haircut another 30 minutes, and I would like to see my girlfriend for an hour or two. If something suddenly comes up, I can easily swap these activities in any way I like and still be left with enough time to work on something I’m passionate about. I know that I must change the oil in my car, but I can schedule a date with my girlfriend or my haircut for another day. 

Notice how I don’t plan that I must do a certain task at the exact time, but I like to make a list of things I need to do, and I like it even more if I have an approximate idea of how long those tasks will take.

Making a to-do list is one of the best things you can do, especially if you are prone to anxiety and/or procrastination. It will free up your mind. You don’t have to remind yourself what needs to be done every hour or so. If it’s in a to-do list, it will be done.

3) Inability to say no

Most of us have at least once in our lives found ourselves surrounded by people we find no interest in, or enrolled in a project that was a clear dead-end project from the beginning. These types of projects and social activities waste our time and leave us without any benefits. I am always for trying out new things that can lead to something beneficial for you. You never know what people you will meet or what new ideas you will think of. As one of my favorite YouTuber and a real estate agent, Ryan Serhant says: “Always show up!” 

But there is a catch. You have to be critical of the project you are starting. If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is, and in the long run, it will be a waste of your time. Show up for meetings and opportunities that might sound interesting, but never enter too deep without researching first. If you happen to find yourself in something and realize it's a waste of time, just say no. You are not responsible for an unrealistic project that someone put too little thought into.

“Everything you say yes to is saying no to the thing you say you want most.”- Alex Hormozi

Alex argues that in order to be focused on one thing, you must be able to say no to other things. People usually try to find something more to add to their plate in the hope of being more productive, when in fact the opposite is true. In order to do the thing that you say you are gonna do, you need to decline everything else; that is how you become productive.

I am not saying you need to become a machine of ultimate productivity if you want to achieve anything, but I am saying that being more mindful of how you spend your most valuable resource (time on this Earth) is one of the key components of a meaningful life. Life is one; hours don’t let it go to waste, and don’t spend it stupidly. 

Summary:

• Time Breakdown: After sleeping 7-8 hours and working/commuting for 10 hours, we still have ~6 hours of free time, with at least 3 hours often unused meaningfully.
• Social Media: One of the biggest time-wasters due to its addictive and ever-present nature. Mindful use, like removing apps from phones or setting boundaries, can help.
• Poor Organization: A lack of planning leads to inefficiency. Flexible scheduling and using to-do lists can improve time management without overloading the day.
• Inability to Say No: People often waste time on unproductive activities or commitments because they can’t say no. Saying no is crucial to focus on what truly matters.
• Final Message: The goal isn’t to become a productivity robot, but to be intentional with time. Life is short, and being mindful of how we spend it leads to a more fulfilling existence.