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How to chart new course for life

Time management matrix

Incorporate as a weekly exercise to schedule time

Stephen Covey:

The "P/PC Principle", which instructs that achieving effectiveness requires balance between production and production capability. In other words, in order to produce, we need to take care of ourselves.

Spending too much time in quadrant 1 leads to stress, burnout and crisis management, which gradually tends to consume all the time available.

Quadrant 3 is often mistaken for quadrant 1 (since the tasks at hand are urgent, eg. a ringing phone), but in reality the urgency is based on priorities of other people. Spending too much time in quadrant 3 leads to gradual loss of control and long-term vision.

Spending time mostly in quadrants 3 and 4 is pretty much the worst case scenario, with no sense of responsibility or control.

The aim is to spend as much time as possible in quadrant 2, which is at the core of the effective personal management. While the activities are not urgent, they are important

Pie Chart of time

Identifying the most optimal ways to spend your time.

The time available within the pie chart is limited (unlike in calendars, in which any activity can simply be moved to a different day). Because it reinforces the idea of scarcity, you are forced to prioritize.

The embedded slice represents the time necessary to sleep, eat and take care of physiological needs. I've rounded it up to 40% (based on 8 hours of sleep + 1 hour for other needs = 37.5%). It's a kind of "physiological tax" you have to pay to your body every day for being alive. The remaining 60% represents the time available to you.

Process

By using this tool, you will have no chance but to prioritize. How can you use your time more efficiently? Is there anything you could remove to free up more time? What are the biggest time-wasters? What activities are non-negotiable and need to be included in the chart?

Experiment with being broad and then go more specific, so that you can find what feels more intuitive. Use a combination of both: some activities are "categories" (eg. relationships, self-time, work) and some are very specific (sailing and cycling).

  1. Identify a time period that feels right for you. One year is a good point of reference for long-term planning, but the pie chart can be used on a weekly or monthly basis as well.

  2. Identify activities which you would like to engage in within that time period.

  3. Draw/print the pie chart as a simple circle. Add a section of the pie for the physiological tax.

  4. Divide the remaining time within the pie chart between activities. Think about how you spend your hours, days, and weeks, and how this relates to the time period represented by the whole "pie".

  5. Repeat steps 2--4 to create a pie chart representing the things you are actually doing right now in your life.

  6. Compare the pie charts. How could you move towards your desired time distribution? What are the time wasters? Which activities can you drop or reduce? How could you free up more time? What needs to change?

Ikigai diagram

For finding your purpose in life

In order to make the most of the ikigai framework, there are two concepts to keep in mind: balance and synergy.

Imagine the ikigai diagram as an elaborate balance scale with 4 weighing pans. Placing too much pressure on a single pan will disturb the equilibrium. In order to maintain balance, all 4 dimensions need to be equally cared for. Try to aim for how you can make use of apparently conflicting elements to harness potential synergies between them.

Process

  1. Use the diagram template above

  2. Identify at least 3 elements for each of the four circles

  1. Divide the elements into 2 groups

    a. Ends -- vision & value

    b. Means - activities

  1. Examine your results. How could you combine the elements into your ideal lifestyle? How can the means give you a route to the ends? Are all the areas well cared for? Is there anything you might eliminate? Look for synergy (see below) and sketch out a vision of how they might come together:

  1. Check for congruency. Can you visualize your ideal lifestyle? Does this vision resonate with you? Would your needs be fulfilled? Keep rearranging the elements until you are satisfied with your result. You can try diagramming as many versions of a vision as you like until one resonates.

  2. Reflect on your current situation and how it differs from your ikigai circle and the resulting vision you created. Which of your needs are not fulfilled? What is causing you stress? Which part of the ikigai diagram do you currently spend most of your time in?

  1. Plan a transition --- how could you move from your current situation towards the center of the diagram? Which areas require the most attention?