Take a look at this list:

– reading
– playing sports
– taking a Coursera course
– blogging
– working at your main, full-time job
– having meetings with friends
– consulting
– playing with your kids
– watching TV shows
– cooking
– shopping
– doing hobbies
– completing household chores

Everyone has their own individual daily routine.

Those who have read my post “Life in weeks”, based on famous Tim Urban’s WBW post, know that, no matter how long life may seem, it is very short, and we have very little time indeed. If you are not familiar with this post, I recommend that you start reading it. In it, I talk about achieving success, goals, your heart’s desire and self-realization, all of which almost always involve time limits.

To get a pilot’s license, you need to spend 10 hours a week for 9 months. To speak Spanish at a level sufficient for everyday situations in central Spain, you need to practice twice a week for an hour-and-a-half for at least one year. To complete a Coursera course, you need to spend 50–100 hours, depending on the course.

Each of us has the same amount of time — 24 hours. Our productivity directly depends on how we use it. Some people work in uninteresting jobs, drink beer in front of the TV every evening and go back to work in the morning. But others change the world with cars, space exploration, government, and the creation of magnificent devices that greatly affect our lives. And all of this happens within the same 24 hours.

If you understand that everyone — both great innovators and beer drinkers — has the same time-resource, you will inevitably think about optimizing your life. If you have 24 hours, how can you use it most productively?

Let’s have a look at how a boring adult life is organized.

Most of us work during the day. On average, it looks something like this:

Okay, it could be more like this; we’re not slaves, after all.

We also sleep for a while.

And then, what is left? The time during which we can change our lives and the world around us!

Let’s say we want to be in good shape, so we become involved in sports:

You also want to learn a foreign language, which takes 2 evenings a week. You need to meet with friends from time to time; otherwise, life would be too boring, wouldn’t it?

We will add cleaning on weekends and TV in the evenings, and finally, some rest is essential.

Can you see now? There is no time for other projects, entertainment, books, studying, or anything else. And this is the secret.

On working days, we have time before and after work. I call this “time slots” — conventional units equivalent to 60–120 minutes. Two slots in the morning, before work, and 2–3 in the evening, afterwards. There are more time slots during the weekends — about 4–8 units per day.

As a rule, household chores and daily hygiene plus meals take one morning slot and one slot in the evening. It turns out that most people have a limited number of free “time slots” (let’s say 30 slots per week). That’s why it’s so important to manage time carefully. People without full-time jobs face the same issue, but they have fewer “work slots” and more free time.

To create something great and live a bright life, you need to be able to manage your time competently. It took me several years to understand the value of time and how to use it effectively.

What are some examples of how to do that? Choose a taxi instead of public transport because you can sit in the back seat and comfortably respond to messages and email. If you ride the subway, bring a notebook. Do not allow any “empty” mornings or evenings. If you want to live an outstanding life, plan ahead 1–2 weeks, filling in all available time slots with meetings, sports and studies. Carefully consider the contents of your “time slots”. Should you clean and iron once a week for 3 hours? It is probably better to call a housekeeper. Assemble Ikea furniture by yourself? Time is more valuable. Do household repairs? That’s what TaskRabbit is for.

I think that, by now, most of you realize that the biggest time slot, which is called WORK, should be an active and rich part of life — not a boring undertaking, performed for the sole purpose of earning money and paying your mortgage.

Work provides us with a plethora of opportunities for personal and professional development. Perhaps you have already heard the recommendation to “find work that is cut out for you” more than a dozen times. Although this may sound trivial, it really is true. The more you value your time, the more you understand the rules of life, the more you come to realize the right choice for your job.

“Time Slots Theory” has become for me a convenient way to manage my activities. Outsourcing routine tasks and focusing on priorities allows me (and other successful people) to be more productive with the same amount of time.

Your life depends on how you use your time slots and manage your time.

And how do you manage your time?

P.S. This post is an update based on a speech I gave at the World Festival of Youth and Students 2017 in Sochi entitled “How to succeed young” and feedback from Facebook comments.