Arrange Your Plate

The old way of thinking has been to place emphasis on the linear nature of time. Digital clocks blink away our life from the past to the present to the future. Often we find ourselves racing against time lines. It reminds us of the old saying, “The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.”

What if we think of time as space? Time is the space in which we live. Just as a box is a space we fill with goods, an hour is a “time box” we fill with activities. Looking at time as space makes it easier to manage.

When we begin to look at an hour as a space in which we will execute activities, we are forced to be more realistic when we plan. A box—whether it’s cardboard or time—can only hold so much.

We think most people intuitively recognize time as space. They refer to their day as a plate, which is limiting and they have too much on it. Furthermore, they don’t seem to know what to do about it. Yet, each day a new miracle occurs—we are given a fresh plate consisting of twenty-four spaces of time called hours, into which we can pack any activities we choose.

So, what activities are on your plate today? Did you take some time to arrange your plate? Or do you let others come along and throw their stuff on your plate? The too-much-on-my-plate challenge cannot be resolved without developing a simple and very enjoyable ritual. That ritual is to make a daily appointment with yourself to arrange your activities for the day.

Call it planning if you like, but we prefer the term arranging.

I sometimes ask people if they plan their day. Often they will respond by saying, “Sure, here’s my list.” But, making a list isn’t planning. Everyone is running around with lists. We agree with the British humorist who said, “The only important question in life is: what will I do next?”

Arrange your day and focus on your high priorities in life first.

This is an excerpt from our book Attack Your Day.