Have you ever imagined what you could do with an extra 3 hours in your day?

Perhaps you’d spend more time with family, invest in your health, or focus on personal growth.

Yet, despite having MORE THAN ENOUGH hours, we struggle with time management.

I used to waste insane numbers of hours by working long hours, overthinking, and repetitions.

Over time, I kept observing and learning from different sources and found these 3 major sources of time loss. It not only saved me time but also helped me regain focus and increase self-awareness.

If you juggle multiple responsibilities, these insights could be crucial for taking control of your time:

1) Only Consuming, Not Creating

Earlier this year, I realized I was spending over three hours daily learning—absorbing articles, courses, and social media content. While it felt rewarding, it turned into a trap; I was consuming information without applying it.

This is often referred to as the "illusion of learning."

For example, reading a well-crafted article can give you a dopamine rush, but without application, that knowledge becomes wasted.

Lesson Learned:

Balance consumption with creation.
Document your learnings systematically.
I developed a Notion-based knowledge management system to organize resources, including organized notes from various materials. This approach helps me bookmark and later utilize what I’ve learned and organize insights, here you can explore it:Knowledge and Resources Management Template

2) A Lack of Emotional Control

Ignoring our emotional states leads to wasted time and mental energy.

Many people respond harshly to their feelings, thinking, “Why is this happening to me?” Instead, we should lean into our emotions to understand them.

Research shows that individuals are often more prone to procrastination during low moods, especially when distractions abound.

How to Combat This:

Develop a habit of self-talk.
Ask yourself why you feel a certain way. Embrace your emotions and seek peace within yourself.
When you feel the urge to procrastinate, challenge yourself: “What’s the next smallest step I can take?” This technique shifts your focus from unpleasant feelings to actionable tasks, making it easier to initiate action.

3) The Execution Gap

As Tony Robbins said, “It’s not what you know; it’s what you implement that counts.”

A key lesson from the book “The 12 Week Year” reveals that while knowledge is powerful, it only matters when acted upon.

The gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it can stifle our progress.

Strategies for Bridging the Gap:

Record Ideas: Jot down insights as they come to you.
Act Quickly: Avoid overthinking; take action on your best ideas.
Reflect Regularly: Spend time daily or weekly reviewing thoughts and actions.
Set Clear Goals: Establish specific objectives and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track your progress.

By focusing on executing ideas rather than merely pondering them, you’ll shrink the “knowing-doing gap” that wastes time.

Own Your Time

To truly take charge of your day:

Master your emotional responses
Take actions fast and track them.
Document and organize your learnings to execute them.

Let's not have 'time lack issues' make a bottleneck to our life and growth. Reflect inside and accept the flaws. To ultimately regain your time and avoid time-wasting behavior.

Here is the resource and knowledge management system you can explore (as discussed in the first point):

Knowledge and Resources Management Template

Best,

Sumanpreet Kaur

PS: You'll receive productivity and Notion tips, including updates on Notion templates, to help you get organized and stay focused. If you have any recommendations or questions, feel free to share. Thank you.

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