Controlling our time

I think the degree of control we have over ourselves, our environment, and our time is the single most accurate predictor of how satisfied we are with our lives. From an intellectual standpoint, I’ve come to think that it’s a better measure than freedom, which is a much more nebulous concept and difficult to pin down (I tried in a different post, and I’m not sure I did it well).

We can assess our lives in terms of how much control we have, and I’m reasonably certain that it would be a good proxy for how happy we are relative to others.

Control is the key differentiating factor between our lives in modern times and indentured servitude or slavery in centuries past. While we may still be required to go to a location at certain times and do work as instructed, we have the right to call in sick, to take days off, and to quit at any time. Similarly, choosing to lie down to rest is very different from laying on a hospital bed and unable to move. Choosing to spend an hour playing an escape room game is worlds apart from being locked in a room and unable to leave.

Fortunately, if we’re healthy and living in a modern developed country, we have a significant amount of control over ourselves and our environment. However, the same cannot be said for our time. I think it’s unbelievable that after centuries of progress, we still spend as much time working as people from hundreds of years ago. Those who choose “996” (or the new so-called “007”) schedules work even harder.

It’s also amazing to me that nearly everyone still chooses to work for 40+ years when I’m quite sure that a significant number (certainly anyone who reads this blog) can retire in 20 years or less with some planning and discipline.

We are born with the same amount of time in the world. On average, nobody has more time than anyone else, so we should preserve it and use it well. It’s worthwhile to ask ourselves regularly: How many hours are we spending each day to do things we would not do if we had control of our time? If the answer is consistently “too many”, we should look into making some changes.

It’s impossible to avoid everything we dislike. At the same time, we can benefit from quantifying and setting goals. In a previous post, I mentioned an ideal daily threshold of two hours for doing things I would prefer to not do. If this is too challenging to achieve in the short-term, what about aiming for a daily threshold of four hours?

We have more control than we think. For example, after completing a major project at work, it’s likely possible to take two weeks of unpaid leave to rest and recharge. Similarly, when changing jobs, we could request an on-board date for the new job that’s 2-3 months after our last day at the previous job, and take the time in-between to travel the world or work on a personal project. An ability to work remotely could make a digital nomad lifestyle possible.

We are all on a spectrum defined by how much control we have over our time, and we are defined by our choices. We are often faced with trade-offs, where money, prestige, and additional consumption are offered in exchange for us giving up a certain degree of control. My advice is to ignore such sirens. When given the choice, choose to be in control.