In high school, my free time was spent on making art, contributing to a magazine, writing, freelancing, designing, and sporadically working for startups. I largely considered these hobby-adjacent passion projects. Stuff that had no immediate impact on my main goals, but stuff I enjoyed and wanted to get better at doing.
Now, years later, I continue to engage in these endeavors but with a more strategic approach to how I invest my time. Thinking about my time this way has sometimes resulted in a productivity loop, trapping me in cycles of very high output followed by burnout and lulls as I recharge and contemplate what's next.
Without proper planning, you might find yourself aimlessly juggling tasks, leading to burnout or decision paralysis–a state where you waste time trying to decide your next move, ultimately accomplishing nothing.
What I've learned is that it's important to plan your time to be effective, but it's also imporatant to work with your energy so that you can do it in a sustainable way.
A simple solution
When I know what needs doing, I follow this almost religious ritual:
- Make a list – and close the door. No additions allowed.
- Prioritize ruthlessly – then lock it in. No second-guessing.
- Kill distractions – phone face-down, notifications off, world on mute.
- Execute sequentially – one task, full focus, then the next.
- Take a real break – not a "quick scroll through Twitter" break.
I scale this approach from two-hour sprints to week-long projects. It's not revolutionary, but it works.
But, not all time should be structured.
When I know the direction I want to pursue and the work that needs to be done, I adopt an approach similar to the one described to efficiently complete the tasks at hand. Conversely, I have a lot of unstructured time between my structured sprints to think. It's when I follow my instincts and let spontaneity dictate how I spend my time–this is time for creativity, reflection and resting.
On most days, I have a clear idea of what needs to be accomplished, so a part of my day is invariably spent in a structured manner. When striving toward a goal, I've found that organizing my time yields the best results.
Whenever possible, I try to allocate more time to unstructured activities—typically during evenings, nights, and sometimes entire days. A significant portion of both my work and leisure activities involves creativity, and I've discovered that this approach suits me. Creativity often benefit from the freedom of exploration, allowing thoughts and ideas to unfurl naturally, without expectation.
Unstrucutre times is what helps me develop good ideas, and how I plan my time afterwards defines how effectively I can actually deliver on those ideas.
These two approaches to time management are synergistic in maintaining my energy and focus. Unstructured time naturally informs what I tackle during structured periods, and vice versa.
It's a rhythm, and like most aspects of life, achieving a healthy balance is the only way to go.