How our minds shape time – and how to make the most of our time

Throughout history, our ability to measure time accurately with different forms of technology has had profound impacts on civilisations and societies. In the 1750s, it was the invention of a timekeeper that was reliable and accurate enough to be taken aboard ships that cracked a longstanding problem in maritime navigation of finding your east, west position at sea using time differences. And that in turn, allowed European naval powers to travel the globe to colonise other countries and to build empires. It’s no exaggeration to say that time has really shaped our world. 

It's embedded in pretty much every aspect of our lives. Time is beating on our wrists, our phones and on our microwaves, ticking away in our cars, offices and train stations. Another place where it’s manifested is the financial markets, regulating trading exchanges by extremely accurate atomic clocks. 

Our perception of time

Humans seem to be quite good at detecting time passing. We have a sense of the weeks and months passing by. Today turns into yesterday. The seasons come and go. Plus, we have a cognitive ability to time travel mentally, thinking forward and back. This sets us apart and allows us to plan for the future, recollect the past and learn from our previous experiences. 

Time is actually really tied up with our beliefs and our values which carry this message about not wasting time and making the most of the time that we have here. “Time is money” as Benjamin Franklin coined the phrase in 1748. It’s a sense that you’ve got to use time wisely, you’ve got to be busy and active. 

Here’s how you can get more out of your time

Most of us tend to feel overwhelmed with work and it seems there’s never enough time to get it all done. Despite months of struggling with time management, a lot of us still don’t have a systematic, time-saving strategy to make a firm call. 

Don’t worry, we’ve gathered some tips from Cal Newport – Professor at Georgetown University, author of 4 books and a study hack blog. Cal is insanely productive. He finishes work at 5:30PM everyday and rarely works weekends. In case you ask, no he doesn’t have superpowers or 20 staff. So here’s how to get shit done during the work week, feel less stressed and have way more fun on the weekends. 

1. Have a morning ritual

How you start your morning is ‘numero uno’, it can affect your productivity all day. Whether it’s making yourself a coffee, catching up on a bit of leisure reading, writing down a few thoughts in your journal or going on a quiet walk. You need to get your head straight, get your mood sorted in the morning and who knows, the best ideas might come to mind. The first 2 hours after you wake up is also the best time to set concrete goals for the day ahead. According to science, your brain chills out when you make goals so you start your day calm and not crazed. 

2. Do a time log

Successful people often plan, track their time and take into account the opportunity cost of their time. Similar to budgeting money, they want to know