The ‘I Don’t Have Any Time’ Excuse & How to Change It
Stop lying to yourself
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Have you ever heard yourself say, “I don’t have enough time?”
Tell me if you’ve heard this one. “Life got in the way?”
What about, “I’m too busy for that?”
All of these are excuses you tell yourself. The truth is it’s not important to you. And it’s okay to admit that.
Many people often feel like there’s never enough time in the world to do what they want. This is far from true. There’s plenty of time, but the truth is you mismanage it.
If you want to take back your time, look no further. In this article, I will help you address what you really want and find time for it. Let’s go.
1. Recognize the Role of Prioritization
When you say you don’t have time for something, you’re really saying that thing isn't important to you right now. It’s not a priority. Try reframing how you talk about time, and it’ll help.
You have to be able to determine what your priorities are and put them first. Nobody else is going to do it for you.
There are some helpful ways to determine what tasks or events are most important.
The Eisenhower Matrix is a famous technique for sectioning out your priorities.
graphic created by author
The matrix is simple. There are four quadrants. Each quadrant represents how important and how urgent it is.
The most important and urgent tasks you should do right away. If they’re urgent but not important, delegate them. Schedule a time to do them if they are important and not urgent. And if they’re neither important nor urgent, eliminate them.
Another powerful tool to figure out your priorities is the Pareto Principle.
The Pareto Principle states that 20% of your actions account for 80% of your results. So, you want to identify what the 20% is so that you prioritize those tasks.
Understand that not everything is equally important, even if it may feel that way. It could be that you’re letting someone else control your priorities or putting someone else’s priorities first.
All tasks are not made equal. Be able to recognize that.
2. Identify and Eliminate Time Wasters
If you want to expand the amount of time you have, take a look at how you’re currently spending it.
Take a week and write down what you do in a day. You can set a timer on your phone for 30 minutes and then write what you were doing. You want to be accurate. Don’t wait until the end of the day to ballpark it.
No judgments. All you’re doing is understanding where your time is going. That’s the first step.
You’ll start noticing activities and spaces you could reorganize as you track your time. You might spend a lot of time doom-scrolling on your phone. You might be multi-tasking or disorganized.
You’re making progress. If you’re spending a lot of time on screen, consider doing a temporary digital detox. Try single-tasking. You’ll also be much more productive. Or implement some organizational systems.
Self-awareness is a vital tool in identifying personal time wasters.
3. Master the Art of Delegation
Returning to the Eisenhower Matrix, we see that tasks that fall under urgent and not important should be delegated. These tasks are a waste of your time and energy. Avoid doing them and delegate instead.
By delegating, you’ll free up precious time and energy to focus on the most important things — your priorities.
For effective delegation, identify your strength and weaknesses. If you’re not good at something, delegate it to someone better. That way, the task is in good hands.
You’re wasting your time on tasks you don't need to be doing or even aren’t good at doing. Prioritize your strengths and delegate your weaknesses.
Delegation isn’t a sign of weakness or laziness. It’s smart and a strength. Some people may not understand that, but you do. It’s dumb to waste your time on unimportant things. Delegate.
4. Develop a Routine and Stick to It
If you begin a routine, you will free up time. Routines allow you to do the same thing at the same time daily. You fall into habits, which keep you doing things out of, you know, habit.
To develop a routine, you can return to where you track your time. Determine what you do naturally and what you must add to manage your time effectively.
Have a hard look at your schedule and make some decisions. What is non-negotiable? What can change?
As you develop your routine, set aside specific times for different activities.
For example, I block off two hours daily for my morning routine. It’s time I get myself to relax and work on my goals. I use the time to read, write, walk, and meditate.
You might have habits you want to accomplish at or by a particular time. Include that in your routine.
And at the end of the day, give yourself grace. You won’t be perfect every day. You won’t always hit your time buckets, and that’s okay. You’re trying.
The best thing you can do in life is try. Be flexible. Sometimes your routine might change. An emergency may arise, and you’ll have to rearrange your schedule. It’s not the end of the world.
Photo by Eric Rothermel on Unsplash
5. Learn to Say “No” and Set Boundaries
When it comes to getting your time back, you realize where you’re wasting it. You spend unnecessary time doing certain things or hanging out with certain people.
If it doesn’t align with your goals, it’s not worth disturbing your schedule.
Don’t let other people walk all over you and demand your time. Either set specific time aside for them or straight up tell them no.
Your time is your most precious asset. You have to be able to protect your time.
You’re granted a limited time on this Earth. Do you really want to spend it at a bar, drinking your life away? Or would you rather work towards your goals and fulfillment?
If you have trouble saying no, invite a friend over and ask them to help you. You can role-play different scenarios where you might say no. And you can use assertive communication techniques.
You’re worried about seeming selfish or disappointing others. That’s a normal response. It’s not selfish to take time for yourself. You need it.
Set some time aside to help others or be there for them. Use your schedule, and enforce your boundaries.
6. Embrace the Power of Rest and Recovery
To really improve how you spend your time, you want to protect your energy as well. That’s why you have to relax and do things that rejuvenate your soul.
This is different for everyone. I’m an introvert, so I like to have private downtime alone. I’ll go off on my own and do my own thing, and it’s refreshing.
Find what refreshes you.
You don’t want to overwork yourself, or you risk burnout. And when you burn out, you’ll take longer to recover. That’s why you should be preemptive in your rest and recovery.
Take breaks throughout the day. Try using the Pomodoro technique. Work for 25 minutes, then rest for 5 minutes. Being productive is about rest just as much as it’s about work.
Photo by Kostiantyn Li on Unsplash
You can also adopt mindfulness practices in your day. Rest is how you’re able to keep going.
These hustle culture junkies will make you believe it’s normal and encourage you to sleep 4 hours a night and work late into the evenings. It’s not. It’s harming you.
Take the time to rest; you’ll recover quicker and be back and ready to work.
7. Reframe Your Mindset
The truth about time management is that you have the time. You mismanage it. You spend your time lounging around and wasting it when you can do something with it. And that’s your prerogative.
But if you believe you ‘don’t have time,’ it’s time to take a deeper look at yourself. Because all it is is an excuse.
If you don’t have time for something, be honest and say it’s not your priority. That’s okay. You don’t have to defend your choices, even if you think you have to.
Watch your words because they'll determine your future if you’re not careful. If you keep saying, “I don’t have time,” you never will have time. You’ll constantly be a slave to it.
Give up the “I don’t have time” excuse and take it back. It’s not too late. You can still take back control of the time in your life.
Try any of these techniques and see how it reframes your idea of time:
Track your time
Create a schedule
Protect your time
Study the Pareto Principle
Follow the Eisenhower Matrix
With any luck, you can turn things around and get more time back than ever before.
Use your time wisely. It’s all you’ve got.
Ready to level yourself up and become the best version of yourself? Download my free journaling guide now.
Maggie Kelly is a freelance writer who writes about mental health, self-help, and psychology. Contact at maggiepkelly@gmail.com
