Mastering Time: Be Selfish with It, Stop Rushing, and Prioritize What Matters
Read Time: 5 Minutes
Today at a Glance
In this week’s issue, we’re diving into:
You should be more selfish with your time.
"Why the fuck am I rushing right now?"
The question you should ask yourself every day: Is this really important right now?
Let’s go!
1. Be Selfish with Your Time
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is this: Be unapologetically selfish with your time.
Time is your most valuable resource. Yet so often, we let obligations, interruptions, and distractions steal chunks of it. When your time isn’t fully your own, it creates several problems:
Mental tug-of-war: You’re stuck between what you should be doing and what’s pulling you away.
Resentment: You might feel frustrated at whoever (or whatever) interrupted you, even if they didn’t mean harm.
Guilt: You beat yourself up because you didn’t accomplish what you set out to do.
But when you protect your time, the ripple effects are huge:
You build trust in yourself by following through on your priorities.
You reduce the mental clutter that comes from being pulled in too many directions.
You inspire others to do the same—showing that it’s okay to be intentional with your schedule.
I’ve started blocking Wednesdays and Fridays for no meetings. Those are my deep-focus days. At first, people thought it was odd, but now I see more colleagues doing the same. Everyone always talks about not having time to get work done because of meetings—this proved there’s nothing wrong with saying no to protect your time.
And this doesn’t just apply to work. Be selfish with your time for loved ones, hobbies, rest, or lazy downtime. Whatever matters to you—make space for it.
It’s not rude. It’s not selfish. It’s commitment to your goals.
2. Why Rushing Ruins Everything
I had a conversation with my friend recently. He told me he quit his job to restructure his life. He’s the definition of go go go—waking up at 4 a.m., running HYROX events, managing side businesses, always socializing. But he realized something strange: even with all that time, he was rushing through his mornings. He asked himself, Why the fuck am I rushing right now? It’s 4 a.m.
I’ve felt the same way. We build these intense morning routines—workout, meditate, journal, meal prep—then rush through them like we’re on autopilot. But what’s the point if we’re stressed before the day even starts?
How Slow Mornings Changed My Productivity
This Wednesday, I slowed down. I didn’t rush from task to task. I was in a good mood. I went to the windshield repair place for the fourth time in three weeks—first, the replacement popped out, then they didn’t have my window, then they needed to order a new molding, and now the new window had a scratch. Normally, this would’ve annoyed the hell out of me. But instead, I thought, Oh well, that’s life.
Because I wasn’t rushing, I stayed calm, I left and had great conversations with friends and coworkers laughing about the incident, and got more done. Slowing down gave me the space to focus and show up as my best self.
Actionable Tip:
Set a “hard start” time for your workday. I wake up around 5:45 a.m. but give myself until 8 a.m. to ease into the day. This time allows me to relax, sip tea, do cardio, and set a peaceful tone. Give yourself permission to slow down—you’ll thank yourself later.
3. Is This Really Important Right Now?
Distractions are everywhere. The biggest culprit for me? Email and Microsoft Teams/Slack messages. I’ll see an email and think, I need to respond to this right now. But I don’t. And I shouldn’t.
Small interruptions can derail your focus, especially when they trigger emotional reactions. I’ve had to train myself to pause and ask, Is this really important right now? Most of the time, it’s not. My high-priority work deserves my full attention.
I started using Friday afternoons for “life admin.” It’s when I’m least motivated to work, so I tackle low-energy tasks like booking travel, paying bills, and organizing my schedule. This clears my mind and sets me up for a relaxed weekend.
Actionable Tip:
Create a dedicated time block for life admin. Batching these distractions keeps them from interrupting your focus and gives you mental clarity going into the weekend.
Reflection Question
How are you managing your time right now?
Are you protecting your deep-focus hours?
Are you giving yourself permission to slow down and reset?
What distractions could you batch into low-priority time blocks?
Parting Thought: Own Your Time
Time is the most precious asset you have. Be intentional with it. Set boundaries, slow down, and prioritize what matters. Confidence and growth come from working on what’s important—not from reacting to every little distraction.
This week, try blocking time for deep work, slowing down your mornings, or batching admin tasks. Small changes can make a massive difference.
Stay curious, stay bold, and keep chasing the dream.
– Quest