Thread: Let's talk about time management. How do you manage your time?

Do you follow a routine or fly by the seat of your pants? Are you a planner or are you more spontaneous?

I usually follow a routine during the week but weekends are more spontaneous. I will say that being more spontaneous often results in not getting as much done as I wanted. Part of my problem on the weekend is spending the morning messing around online without getting anything done. I find that doing things like house and vehicle maintenance can suck up a lot of free time. Sometimes I think about moving to a condo or apartment and leasing a car. Of course that would cost more money but time is the real currency. How do you manage your time?

I retired in my 20s because I wanted a completely open schedule...go to bed at 7am or 10am if I want....sometimes 2pm. Sleep for 10 or 12 hours.

But now that I'm older I desperately see the need for a schedule. Trying to get better and go to bed every night by 11 or 12...exercise a little in the morning, sleep at night (I've heard helps regulate hormones), etc. I feel much better when I stick with this. All it takes though is one night staying up to 7 or 8 am and it takes me months to get back on a good schedule.

Not having to be anywhere can fuck you up mentally. I can see why a lot of older retired people go down hill fast once they have complete freedom with their time. You have to be strong willed to make yourself have a schedule for years and years.

Originally Posted by Edwardhaskell

I retired in my 20s because I wanted a completely open schedule...go to bed at 7am or 10am if I want....sometimes 2pm. Sleep for 10 or 12 hours.

But now that I'm older I desperately see the need for a schedule. Trying to get better and go to bed every night by 11 or 12...exercise a little in the morning, sleep at night (I've heard helps regulate hormones), etc. I feel much better when I stick with this. All it takes though is one night staying up to 7 or 8 am and it takes me months to get back on a good schedule.

Not having to be anywhere can fuck you up mentally. I can see why a lot of older retired people go down hill fast once they have complete freedom with their time. You have to be strong willed to make yourself have a schedule for years and years.

I have had on and off insomnia for years and it can be rough to have an irregular sleep schedule. I try to get up at the same time, regardless of whether it's a weekday or weekend.

Originally Posted by Brock

I have had on and off insomnia for years and it can be rough to have an irregular sleep schedule. I try to get up at the same time, regardless of whether it's a weekday or weekend.

Probably since age 7 or 8 for me. Middle school, high school and college were especially rough when I hadn't slept for days or had 1-2 hours sleep. I was able to function on such little sleep back then but in my 30s it makes me really angry/foggy the whole day. The thing I've had a lot of people including doctors tell me is what you said -- go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. I know my life would be drastically better if I stick with that.

I’ve always been a highly structured, organized individual. I’m very neurotic about my routine, to the point where I get highly irritable if it’s fucked with or thrown off course in any way.

I even have certain restaurants that I go to on certain days of the week. I have all the clothes I’m gonna wear for the week already selected.

Structure has always worked for me. The only downside is that I put too much pressure on myself sometimes and don’t give myself enough flexibility. I’m my own worst enemy when it comes to that.

Originally Posted by Edwardhaskell

Probably since age 7 or 8 for me. Middle school, high school and college were especially rough when I hadn't slept for days or had 1-2 hours sleep. I was able to function on such little sleep back then but in my 30s it makes me really angry/foggy the whole day. The thing I've had a lot of people including doctors tell me is what you said -- go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. I know my life would be drastically better if I stick with that.

I could do one night with 1-2 hours, or a few nights of 4 hours and feel okay. Anything beyond that and I feel pretty crappy.

Originally Posted by Societysucksmyass

I’ve always been a highly structured, organized individual. I’m very neurotic about my routine, to the point where I get highly irritable if it’s fucked with or thrown off course in any way.

Even on the weekend? I have a bad habit of getting on the computer first thing in the morning when off work. Before I know it, a good chunk of the day is gone before I really get moving.

Originally Posted by Societysucksmyass

I even have certain restaurants that I go to on certain days of the week. I have all the clothes I’m gonna wear for the week already selected.

I don't eat out during the week as I have been trying to drop some weight. Of course cooking takes another chunk of free time.

Originally Posted by Societysucksmyass

Structure has always worked for me. The only downside is that I put too much pressure on myself sometimes and don’t give myself enough flexibility. I’m my own worst enemy when it comes to that.

I know what you mean. On the bright side, you don't have to make as many decisions.

Originally Posted by Brock

Do you follow a routine or fly by the seat of your pants? Are you a planner or are you more spontaneous?

I usually follow a routine during the week but weekends are more spontaneous. I will say that being more spontaneous often results in not getting as much done as I wanted. Part of my problem on the weekend is spending the morning messing around online without getting anything done. I find that doing things like house and vehicle maintenance can suck up a lot of free time. Sometimes I think about moving to a condo or apartment and leasing a car. Of course that would cost more money but time is the real currency. How do you manage your time?

I've been retired for about 15 years now and I manage to keep a good, productive schedule. A couple points:

Sleep schedule
I don't stick to the clock. I often sleep about 6 hours and then I'm up for 20 hours, for a typical 26-hour day. But sometimes I sleep for 3-4 hours, get up a few hours, then sleep again later. Or sometimes I'm working on a fun project and stay up 30 hours or something. Whatever. So I'm asleep or awake at all times of day or night. Sometimes I'm up all day, sometimes I'm up all night. Since I'm retired, I don't have to stick to the clock.

In the past when I was employed at a regular job and/or doing lots of social things, then I would try to get my sleeping more on schedule. But since I'm retired and going through a pretty solitary phase, I just sleep when I'm tired and get up when I've had enough sleep. It's excellent for productivity on my personal projects: I work till I'm tired, sleep for a bit, then pick up my projects again when I'm feeling energized again. And I live in an urban area, so I have 24-hour stores and gyms around me. No need to worry about the clock at all.

Keeping to a schedule
I have a pretty rigid schedule where I assign time blocks for everything. For example, after I finish breakfast I do 15-30 minutes on a chore or errand such as routine paperwork. Then an hour on a fun personal project. Then 15-30 minutes on a chore or errand. Then 30 minutes on cleaning or cooking. And so on throughout the day. The point is to break things up into lots of different blocks of time so that I'm always jumping from one thing to another, keeping my energy up and staying fresh. So by the end of the day I feel like I've gotten a lot done without getting burnt out or bored or exhausted.

The trick is to have lots of very short blocks for pain-in-the-ass work like paperwork or cleaning, and front-load them toward the beginning of the day when my energy is highest. And have longer blocks for fun personal projects: Have one near the start of the day to get me going, but otherwise put them more toward later in the day when I'm losing energy.

I surf the web, do message-boarding, and check videos during meals. That's my "social time." I do video gaming after dinner when I'm tired out.

Of course, I need a good "to-do list" and a scheduler/calendar to keep straight all the various tasks, errands, and projects I'm handling and what stage I'm at on each one of them or what I need to do next on them. But that's normal if you're being productive.

Procrastination
I used to procrastinate really bad: Waste time surfing the web or engage in some other time-wasting activity. But eventually I realized that I was procrastinating because I was avoiding some task I didn't want to do. So I beat that by breaking down tasks into small 15-minute or 30-minute blocks of time, which makes them more handleable. If it's a really distasteful task, I may only do five minutes of work on it at a time, at least until I can get my feet wet on it and start getting into the rhythm.

I call it "incrementalism": Breaking big tasks down into small increments. When facing a very difficult project, I just tell myself: "Well, I'll just do 5 minutes on it right now, then put it down and head to the gym for a workout. Then maybe do another 5 minutes on it later in the day." And that makes it easy to get past the initial distaste and jump into it. Of course, it means that the task may take a while since progress is very slow at the beginning. So I can't "incrementalize" if I'm on a short deadline for a project. But if I start early on a big project and tackle it initially in lots of small bursts (5-minute blocks or 15-minute blocks), then it's easier to avoid procrastination. And then, after enough 5-minute blocks, I start to get my feet wet on the work and I can see where I want to go next, and I can start giving it more time.

So that's how I handle procrastination: I use it as a signal that there's some task I don't want to do, and I "incrementalize" that task in order to make it easier to jump into it.

Maintenance

Originally Posted by Brock

Sometimes I think about moving to a condo or apartment and leasing a car. Of course that would cost more money but time is the real currency. How do you manage your time?

I agree. I used to own homes, but they sucked up too much time on maintenance. So I sold my last home a while back, and I live in apartments. Also, apartments are good in that if you get a noisy neighbor you can always move away or transfer to a different apartment elsewhere in the complex. Much more convenient.

Like you say, "time is the real currency." I farm out any possible work: I hire a CPA to do my taxes, buy super-reliable cars and have them serviced at a garage, etc. I would hire someone to do my cleaning, but I normally keep everything clean just as part of my routine--ex-Marine and all that.

But yeah, my time is precious to me. Freeing up time is pretty much my highest priority. It's more costly to have others do stuff, but it's worth it to me. I want as much time as possible freed up for personal projects.

Originally Posted by MGTOWLife

I've been retired for about 15 years now and I manage to keep a good, productive schedule. A couple points:

Sleep schedule
I don't stick to the clock. I often sleep about 6 hours and then I'm up for 20 hours, for a typical 26-hour day. But sometimes I sleep for 3-4 hours, get up a few hours, then sleep again later. Or sometimes I'm working on a fun project and stay up 30 hours or something. Whatever. So I'm asleep or awake at all times of day or night. Sometimes I'm up all day, sometimes I'm up all night. Since I'm retired, I don't have to stick to the clock.

In the past when I was employed at a regular job and/or doing lots of social things, then I would try to get my sleeping more on schedule. But since I'm retired and going through a pretty solitary phase, I just sleep when I'm tired and get up when I've had enough sleep. It's excellent for productivity on my personal projects: I work till I'm tired, sleep for a bit, then pick up my projects again when I'm feeling energized again. And I live in an urban area, so I have 24-hour stores and gyms around me. No need to worry about the clock at all.

That is interesting. I'm not sure I could do that but I tend to be more of a night owl and prefer to go to bed later and sleep in a bit later. I'm sure one major benefit of being retired is being able to control your sleep schedule, however one prefers it. Most jobs require early morning hours, I think my favorite hours were the 3-11 or 4-12 shifts in jobs I've worked in the past.

Originally Posted by MGTOWLife

Keeping to a schedule
I have a pretty rigid schedule where I assign time blocks for everything. For example, after I finish breakfast I do 15-30 minutes on a chore or errand such as routine paperwork. Then an hour on a fun personal project. Then 15-30 minutes on a chore or errand. Then 30 minutes on cleaning or cooking. And so on throughout the day. The point is to break things up into lots of different blocks of time so that I'm always jumping from one thing to another, keeping my energy up and staying fresh. So by the end of the day I feel like I've gotten a lot done without getting burnt out or bored or exhausted.

The trick is to have lots of very short blocks for pain-in-the-ass work like paperwork or cleaning, and front-load them toward the beginning of the day when my energy is highest. And have longer blocks for fun personal projects: Have one near the start of the day to get me going, but otherwise put them more toward later in the day when I'm losing energy.

I think I would prefer to get most of the pain in the ass stuff done as early as possible to get it out of the way, but I can't say I do it that way.

Originally Posted by MGTOWLife

I surf the web, do message-boarding, and check videos during meals. That's my "social time."

That's a VERY good idea. It's so easy to allow those things to become a distraction throughout the entire day.

Originally Posted by MGTOWLife

I do video gaming after dinner when I'm tired out.

That sounds like a good time to play games. I don't like to play them earlier in the day because I feel like they keep me from doing productive stuff.

I find that I need energy to play video games so early evening probably works best for me. In the latter part of the evening, I'm often beat and would rather veg in front of the TV.

Originally Posted by MGTOWLife

Of course, I need a good "to-do list" and a scheduler/calendar to keep straight all the various tasks, errands, and projects I'm handling and what stage I'm at on each one of them or what I need to do next on them. But that's normal if you're being productive.

I buy a planner every year and that is a big help. I enjoy crossing items on the list as they are done. I beat myself up for not being productive enough, but this makes me more productive than I would otherwise be. That being said, I often underestimate the time it takes to do things. Even making decisions to buy things can be time consuming (for example, a mattress or to a lesser extent, a pair of shoes).

Originally Posted by MGTOWLife

Procrastination
I used to procrastinate really bad: Waste time surfing the web or engage in some other time-wasting activity. But eventually I realized that I was procrastinating because I was avoiding some task I didn't want to do. So I beat that by breaking down tasks into small 15-minute or 30-minute blocks of time, which makes them more handleable. If it's a really distasteful task, I may only do five minutes of work on it at a time, at least until I can get my feet wet on it and start getting into the rhythm.

I can certainly relate to this. My strategy is once I get started to stick with it until I'm done. Of course I do take breaks if it takes long enough.

Originally Posted by MGTOWLife

I call it "incrementalism": Breaking big tasks down into small increments. When facing a very difficult project, I just tell myself: "Well, I'll just do 5 minutes on it right now, then put it down and head to the gym for a workout. Then maybe do another 5 minutes on it later in the day." And that makes it easy to get past the initial distaste and jump into it. Of course, it means that the task may take a while since progress is very slow at the beginning. So I can't "incrementalize" if I'm on a short deadline for a project. But if I start early on a big project and tackle it initially in lots of small bursts (5-minute blocks or 15-minute blocks), then it's easier to avoid procrastination. And then, after enough 5-minute blocks, I start to get my feet wet on the work and I can see where I want to go next, and I can start giving it more time.

So that's how I handle procrastination: I use it as a signal that there's some task I don't want to do, and I "incrementalize" that task in order to make it easier to jump into it.

That makes sense. Perhaps I should give that a try.

Originally Posted by MGTOWLife

Maintenance

I agree. I used to own homes, but they sucked up too much time on maintenance. So I sold my last home a while back, and I live in apartments. Also, apartments are good in that if you get a noisy neighbor you can always move away or transfer to a different apartment elsewhere in the complex. Much more convenient.

Even grass cutting can be a nuisance, especially if there are mower problems, which I run into more than I care to admit. These repairs can be really time consuming. Sometimes it requires trying different things to see if that fixes it, running to town multiple times for a part, etc.

As someone with a barking dog next door, you bring up a good point about apartments. My first thought was a condo but you cannot easily move from one if you have a bad neighbor. Of course the flipside of apartments means that there will be more turnover as far as neighbors go and that can be good or bad. Some say that living in an apartment is like throwing money away. I can see that point as well especially if one has a low mortgage or paid off property.

I suppose one could rent their house out while renting an apartment to live in. Of course dealing with tenants could be a PITA. Maybe it would work if one uses a property management company.

[QUOTE=MGTOWLife;196520]
Like you say, "time is the real currency." I farm out any possible work: I hire a CPA to do my taxes, buy super-reliable cars and have them serviced at a garage, etc.

I have always done my own taxes. It only takes a couple hours via tax software but I can definitely see the advantage of hiring a CPA especially if one's finances are a bit more complex, entitled to extra deductions, etc.

Having a car serviced at a garage can be time consuming as well. Having to spend an afternoon in the waiting room of a mechanic is a waste of time. The alternative is to arrange to have someone drive you to drop the vehicle off and pick it up, but then you owe someone else a favor. Ideally I suppose it would be best to live within walking distance of a mechanic.

Originally Posted by MGTOWLife

I would hire someone to do my cleaning, but I normally keep everything clean just as part of my routine--ex-Marine and all that.

But yeah, my time is precious to me. Freeing up time is pretty much my highest priority. It's more costly to have others do stuff, but it's worth it to me. I want as much time as possible freed up for personal projects.

I know what you mean. I have all of these ideas for personal projects and find myself often wondering why I never have the time (and/or energy) to work on this stuff, and the lack of free time is why. I think "do it yourself" is good to a certain extend but it's possible to take it too far.

Case in point....I had a kitchen faucet that needed to be replaced recently. I had to go to town anyway so picked up a new one and replaced it in an hour. The saved a good chunk of cash. OTOH I once had a bad rear differential on a truck that needed to be replaced. I should have taken it in but balked at the price and decided to do it myself. Bad idea. It took weeks of working on it in order to fix it. It's not like I worked on it every day, but I only had time on the weekend and a couple of weeknights and spent hours each day. There was a bad part I received and a mistake I made due to my lack of experience and the job took way longer than it should have.

Thanks for your response. It all sounded good. By the way, I think it's great that you brought up the subject. Good time management can be a life-changer.

I figured that I would pick out this one idea and expand on it:

Originally Posted by Brock

[...] My strategy is once I get started to stick with it until I'm done. Of course I do take breaks if it takes long enough. [...]

I used to have big projects at work. For a long time, my preferred way to work was take a single project and work straight through on it to the end. But that had two big drawbacks:
1) Procrastination beforehand, especially if they were difficult projects; and
2) Burnout afterward, which left me too wiped out for any other work or projects until I could recover my energy.

Over time I learned that it was better to work on multiple projects at the same time and bounce back and forth among them: 30 minutes on one, then 30 minutes on the next, etc. That way:
1) Less procrastination: It was easier to jump into projects when they were in smaller bites or when they were already partway done; and
2) Less burnout: I stayed fresher if I was bouncing around between multiple projects, rather than doing a deep, sustained dive on a single project.

Also there were other benefits when I had multiple projects and bounced back and forth among them:
1) Better productivity because I was advancing multiple projects simultaneously and staying fresh rather than doing a deep dive on one project and burning out on it; and
2) I actually produced better work by switching around among multiple projects, because taking a break on one project and working on other projects allowed time for the first project to percolate in the back of my mind. Often when returning to a project after a break, I could see it fresh and spot new ways to tackle it. More breaks = more freshness = new perspectives on the project.

The main thing to remember when switching around between multiple projects is: When you take a break on one project, make notes about where you are on that project and where you want to go next. So that you can jump right back into that project later and pick up where you left off seamlessly.

Anyway, just my own experience. All the best!

Every day is completely random. Since my time is basically infinite, it's also meaningless, so unless it involves a plane or train or something someone else scheduled I want to be on, it just doesn't matter.

I'm not entirely sure why I would want to manage my time. Seems to have no purpose.

Originally Posted by MGTOWLife

Thanks for your response. It all sounded good. By the way, I think it's great that you brought up the subject. Good time management can be a life-changer.

I figured that I would pick out this one idea and expand on it:


I used to have big projects at work. For a long time, my preferred way to work was take a single project and work straight through on it to the end. But that had two big drawbacks:
1) Procrastination beforehand, especially if they were difficult projects; and
2) Burnout afterward, which left me too wiped out for any other work or projects until I could recover my energy.

Over time I learned that it was better to work on multiple projects at the same time and bounce back and forth among them: 30 minutes on one, then 30 minutes on the next, etc. That way:
1) Less procrastination: It was easier to jump into projects when they were in smaller bites or when they were already partway done; and
2) Less burnout: I stayed fresher if I was bouncing around between multiple projects, rather than doing a deep, sustained dive on a single project.

Also there were other benefits when I had multiple projects and bounced back and forth among them:
1) Better productivity because I was advancing multiple projects simultaneously and staying fresh rather than doing a deep dive on one project and burning out on it; and
2) I actually produced better work by switching around among multiple projects, because taking a break on one project and working on other projects allowed time for the first project to percolate in the back of my mind. Often when returning to a project after a break, I could see it fresh and spot new ways to tackle it. More breaks = more freshness = new perspectives on the project.

The main thing to remember when switching around between multiple projects is: When you take a break on one project, make notes about where you are on that project and where you want to go next. So that you can jump right back into that project later and pick up where you left off seamlessly.

Anyway, just my own experience. All the best!

This can work too and I do it as well sometimes. I guess it just depends on what kind of work one is doing. If it's coding, I tend to need to focus longer. Context switching can take time and it can be difficult to get in and out of "the zone" if that makes sense. For most other things, this is definitely a workable strategy. I tend to do that (even with coding) at times, for example, when I get stuck. There's nothing more frustrating at work than working for hours on something and not getting anywhere, nor having anything to show for my time since nothing else is getting done either.

Originally Posted by DangZagnut

Every day is completely random. Since my time is basically infinite, it's also meaningless, so unless it involves a plane or train or something someone else scheduled I want to be on, it just doesn't matter.

I'm not entirely sure why I would want to manage my time. Seems to have no purpose.

I guess it just depends on what one does for work, any goals outside of work, etc.

For example - working out requires consistency so I tend to pencil in time for that. Something like reading or playing video games? That can be done anytime so there is really no need to plan for that.

Originally Posted by DangZagnut

Every day is completely random. Since my time is basically infinite, it's also meaningless, so unless it involves a plane or train or something someone else scheduled I want to be on, it just doesn't matter.

I'm not entirely sure why I would want to manage my time. Seems to have no purpose.

You went meta. You changed the subject from HOW to do time management to WHY do time management. That gets into meaning-of-life shit. Like "what are we supposed to use our time here on earth for."

Anyway, just to answer for myself: I'm an old man with lots of personal interests and fun projects to do. And since I'm in my late 60s, my available time is definitely not "infinite."

There are only so many hours in the day. Even when you're retired, you have to strike a balance each day between stuff you NEED to do and stuff you WANT to do. In fact, as I get older, I find that I have to put more and more time and effort into boring self-maintenance just to stay more or less healthy and avoid ending up in the doctor's office (or worse). So I put in a little bit of effort (time management) to increase my productivity and fit more of the FUN stuff into my day, even as my days become increasingly cluttered with boring self-maintenance stuff.

You could even say that "time management" is a big part of the reason I went MGTOW: There are only so many hours in the day, and I don't want to waste a chunk of each day placating some neurotic "princess" and pretending I give a shit about her issues just to keep the peace. I have better things to do with the limited amount of time available to me.

Originally Posted by MGTOWLife

You went meta. You changed the subject from HOW to do time management to WHY do time management. That gets into meaning-of-life shit. Like "what are we supposed to use our time here on earth for."

I hate to go meta, but I'm "why" guy. I always "mu" or un-ask the question.

To me, specifically, time has little to no meaning. So unless someone else's schedule is affecting me I don't really care. Because it's meaningless.

Originally Posted by MGTOWLife

Anyway, just to answer for myself: I'm an old man with lots of personal interests and fun projects to do. And since I'm in my late 60s, my available time is definitely not "infinite."

Your time is infinite. You will eventually have organ failure to keep your brain alive, and is is what it is. You die.


IMO, the older you get, the more your time is meaningless, because you've already won. You got past the last great hurdle. It's just decay and death. Life is on easy mode. You've hopefully come to terms with your environment, and enjoy the good life.

But then maybe Im weird. I think living in a basement and shouting up at the neighbors while eating sardines on a cracker is the good life.

Originally Posted by MGTOWLife

You could even say that "time management" is a big part of the reason I went MGTOW: There are only so many hours in the day, and I don't want to waste a chunk of each day placating some neurotic "princess" and pretending I give a shit about her issues just to keep the peace. I have better things to do with the limited amount of time available to me.

Well women are a waste of time. And most of my top friends are women, so I say this simply from seeing the time waste they are.

Your time is infinite, and meaningless. Enjoy life, who cares what you do. You're in the best position of any human on Earth, you get to do anything you want and not give a shit right? At this point, who gives a shit.

Originally Posted by DangZagnut

[...] Your time is infinite, and meaningless. Enjoy life, who cares what you do. You're in the best position of any human on Earth, you get to do anything you want and not give a shit right? At this point, who gives a shit.

I'm in favor of meaningless. I wouldn't have it any other way.

People like Jordan Peterson say that God HAS to exist, because without God life becomes meaningless, and a meaningless life is too horrible to contemplate. But Jordan Peterson is an idiot. I think it’s precisely the pointlessness of life that makes life fun and worth living. If Jordan Peterson was right, that is, if life were to have one single clear and universally-agreed purpose (like worshiping God or whatever), then life would be awful. We would all have to spend our lives working and straining toward that one goal, like beasts of burden.

But life is meaningless. And with no clearly-defined purpose, life becomes more like a sandbox-style video game. Have fun with it, explore, travel, try new things. The pointlessness of life takes the pressure off and permits us to take risks and have fun.

Of course, I watch out and try not to overstep my bounds to the point that I get myself in such a mess that I can't get back out again. As Clint Eastwood famously said in the movie Dirty Harry: "A man's gotta know his limitations."

And then of course there comes that time when we become so old and sick that life's a burden. Given that I'm in my upper 60s, that time isn't far off for me. But I just view it as a cost/benefit ratio. When I finally get too old and ill and the work of staying alive outweighs the fun of life itself, then no problem: I use my gun on myself, or I take a short walk off the top floor of a high-rise building.

But I'm still relatively healthy for now, I hit the gym on a daily basis to stay fit, and I have a good, comfortable life with no particular obstacles on the horizon. So as long as life stays fun (more or less) and the world doesn't get into an all-out nuclear war or something along that line, then I'm happy to carry on carrying on.

So to me it's all about having fun and keeping the cost/benefit ratio at a good level. Time management helps me do that.

Originally Posted by DangZagnut

But then maybe Im weird. I think living in a basement and shouting up at the neighbors while eating sardines on a cracker is the good life.

Lol. I like people like that.

I have to be fairly structured in my job. During my free time, I prefer complete freedom. I still get things done, I just don't sit down and write out a schedule or timeline. I get enough of that crap at work.

Originally Posted by MGTOWLife

I'm in favor of meaningless. I wouldn't have it any other way.

People like Jordan Peterson say that God HAS to exist, because without God life becomes meaningless, and a meaningless life is too horrible to contemplate. But Jordan Peterson is an idiot. I think it’s precisely the pointlessness of life that makes life fun and worth living. If Jordan Peterson was right, that is, if life were to have one single clear and universally-agreed purpose (like worshiping God or whatever), then life would be awful. We would all have to spend our lives working and straining toward that one goal, like beasts of burden.

But life is meaningless. And with no clearly-defined purpose, life becomes more like a sandbox-style video game. Have fun with it, explore, travel, try new things. The pointlessness of life takes the pressure off and permits us to take risks and have fun.

Of course, I watch out and try not to overstep my bounds to the point that I get myself in such a mess that I can't get back out again. As Clint Eastwood famously said in the movie Dirty Harry: "A man's gotta know his limitations."

And then of course there comes that time when we become so old and sick that life's a burden. Given that I'm in my upper 60s, that time isn't far off for me. But I just view it as a cost/benefit ratio. When I finally get too old and ill and the work of staying alive outweighs the fun of life itself, then no problem: I use my gun on myself, or I take a short walk off the top floor of a high-rise building.

But I'm still relatively healthy for now, I hit the gym on a daily basis to stay fit, and I have a good, comfortable life with no particular obstacles on the horizon. So as long as life stays fun (more or less) and the world doesn't get into an all-out nuclear war or something along that line, then I'm happy to carry on carrying on.

So to me it's all about having fun and keeping the cost/benefit ratio at a good level. Time management helps me do that.



Lol. I like people like that.

“I think it’s precisely the pointlessness of life that makes life fun and worth living.”

—MGTOWLife, January 9, 2023.

All you young lurkers, READ THIS^^

10 out of 10 people die, why take life so seriously? Just USE your brain, cause it’s meant to be used, and ENJOY!

Originally Posted by WanderLuster

10 out of 10 people die, why take life so seriously? Just USE your brain, cause it’s meant to be used, and ENJOY!

I’m a nihilist,! So endorse this statement.

life is meaningless. Have fun with it.

Originally Posted by MGTOWLife

You went meta. You changed the subject from HOW to do time management to WHY do time management. That gets into meaning-of-life shit. Like "what are we supposed to use our time here on earth for."

Anyway, just to answer for myself: I'm an old man with lots of personal interests and fun projects to do. And since I'm in my late 60s, my available time is definitely not "infinite."

Never would have guess that you are in your late 60s! That's great you remain so active.

Originally Posted by MGTOWLife

There are only so many hours in the day. Even when you're retired, you have to strike a balance each day between stuff you NEED to do and stuff you WANT to do. In fact, as I get older, I find that I have to put more and more time and effort into boring self-maintenance just to stay more or less healthy and avoid ending up in the doctor's office (or worse). So I put in a little bit of effort (time management) to increase my productivity and fit more of the FUN stuff into my day, even as my days become increasingly cluttered with boring self-maintenance stuff.

I have started noticing that I have been doing more of this self-maintenance and am only in my 40s. There is house maintenance, car maintenance, and self maintenance. Doing maintenance is almost a part-time job.

Originally Posted by MGTOWLife

You could even say that "time management" is a big part of the reason I went MGTOW: There are only so many hours in the day, and I don't want to waste a chunk of each day placating some neurotic "princess" and pretending I give a shit about her issues just to keep the peace. I have better things to do with the limited amount of time available to me.

Yeah, time is finite. The days go by fast especially if it's an "off day".