How to gain control of your free time

By Laura Vanderkam
When people find out I write about time management, they assume two things. One
is that I'm always on time, and I'm not. I have four small children, and I would like to
blame them for my occasional tardiness, but sometimes it's just not their fault. I was
once late to my own speech on time management.
當旁人發現我寫文章談「時間管理」， 他們假設兩件事情： 第一、我一定都準
時！ 其實不然－ 我有四個小孩， 我想爲我偶爾的遲到指責他們， 但是有時候
就並非他們的過錯。 有一次我要去做 時間管理的演講時遲到...
(Laughter)
00:27
We all had to just take a moment together and savor that irony.
我們早該花點時間時間碰頭 以及玩味這等諷刺。
00:32
The second thing they assume is that I have lots of tips and tricks for saving bits of
time here and there. Sometimes I'll hear from magazines that are doing a story along
these lines, generally on how to help their readers find an extra hour in the day. And
the idea is that we'll shave bits of time off everyday activities, add it up, and we'll
have time for the good stuff. I question the entire premise of this piece, but I'm
always interested in hearing what they've come up with before they call me. Some of
my favorites: doing errands where you only have to make right-hand turns --
第二、他們覺得我有很多 在各處節省時間的技巧和妙招！ 有時候我在雜誌上看
到相符的文章， 普遍來說幫助讀者如何在平日 找出多餘的時間。 其理念是我
們可以從 每天的作息中省出一點時間， 把它加總起來我們就會有時間 拿來做
不賴的事情。 我質疑這種文章的整個立論點， 但是我一直對聽聞他們在打電話
給我前 所想出來的東西很感興趣。 我最喜歡的幾個是： 做那些你只需要開車
右轉的差事、
01:02(Laughter)
01:03
Being extremely judicious in microwave usage: it says three to three-and-a-half
minutes on the package, we're totally getting in on the bottom side of that. And my
personal favorite, which makes sense on some level, is to DVR your favorite shows so
you can fast-forward through the commercials. That way, you save eight minutes
every half hour, so in the course of two hours of watching TV, you find 32 minutes to
exercise.
對於使用微波使用說明極為精明， 如果在包裝上註明 3 至 3.5 分鐘， 我們絕對
要用它的底限。 而我個人所偏愛者 在某些層面上是有其道理的－ 錄下你最喜
歡的節目 你就可以快轉跳過廣告， 那種做法每半個小時節省下 8 分鐘， 所以
在看兩個小時的電視內容長度時， 你就找到 32 分鐘來運動！
01:23(Laughter)
01:24
Which is true. You know another way to find 32 minutes to exercise? Don't watch
two hours of TV a day, right?
話是沒錯啦， 你知道找出 32 分鐘 來運動的另一個方法嗎？ 一天不要看 2 個小
時的電視對吧！
01:31(Laughter)
01:32
Anyway, the idea is we'll save bits of time here and there, add it up, we will finally get
to everything we want to do. But after studying how successful people spend their
time and looking at their schedules hour by hour, I think this idea has it completely
backward. We don't build the lives we want by saving time. We build the lives we
want, and then time saves itself.
總之這個理念就是 我們會東省西省一點時間， 加起來...我們終究會有時間 做想
做的每件事情。 但是在我檢視成功人士 如何花用他們的時間， 以及察看他們
的鐘點作息表之後， 我認為該理念完全是背道而馳。 我們不是透過節省時間
營造我們想過的生活； 我們先營造所追求的生活， 然後時間自然就會省下來。
01:58
Here's what I mean. I recently did a time diary project looking at 1,001 days in the
lives of extremely busy women. They had demanding jobs, sometimes their own
businesses, kids to care for, maybe parents to care for, community commitments --
busy, busy people. I had them keep track of their time for a week so I could add up
how much they worked and slept, and I interviewed them about their strategies, for
my book.
我的意思是如此－ 我最近做過一個時間日記帳專案， 察看非常忙碌之女士們
1,001 天的生活。 她們有著吃重的工作－ 有時候是自家的事業、 有自己的孩子
或者是父母要照顧、 參與地方事務... 大忙人！ 為了我的書我讓她們把 一個星
期的時間留下軌跡， 如此我得以加算 她們工作和睡覺的時間； 與其面談關於
她們的大方針。
02:21
One of the women whose time log I studied goes out on a Wednesday night for
something. She comes home to find that her water heater has broken, and there is
now water all over her basement. If you've ever had anything like this happen to you,
you know it is a hugely damaging, frightening, sopping mess. So she's dealing with
the immediate aftermath that night, next day she's got plumbers coming in, day after
that, professional cleaning crew dealing with the ruined carpet. All this is being
recorded on her time log. Winds up taking seven hours of her week. Seven hours.
That's like finding an extra hour in the day.
我所檢視其中一位女士的日程表－ 某個星期三晚上她有事出門， 回家後發現她
的熱水器已經故障， 地下室當下到處都是水。 如果你曾經碰過過類似這樣的情
況， 你就知道這是千瘡百孔、 生人迴避、溼透了的一團亂。 她該晚不斷為此
現成的災情善後， 隔天她就請來水管工， 第三天由專業清潔人員 整治面目全
非的地毯。 這些都留記在她的日程表裡， 不得已花了她那個禮拜 7 個小時。 7
個小時！ 那就像是平日多找出一個小時來。
02:56
But I'm sure if you had asked her at the start of the week, "Could you find seven
hours to train for a triathlon?" "Could you find seven hours to mentor seven worthy
people?" I'm sure she would've said what most of us would've said, which is, "No --
can't you see how busy I am?" Yet when she had to find seven hours because there is
water all over her basement, she found seven hours. And what this shows us is that
time is highly elastic. We cannot make more time, but time will stretch to
accommodate what we choose to put into it.
但是如果你有在那禮拜剛開始就問她： 「你能找出七小時 做鐵人三項訓練
嗎？」、 「你能找出七小時 督導七個可用之才嗎？」 我肯定她就像我們大多
數人般會說： 「不可以！你看不出我有多忙嗎？」 然而因為她的地下室淹水，
當她必須找出七小時的時候， 她找出七個小時來了！ 這告訴我們時間是高度變
通的。 我們無法生出更多的時間， 但時間將會撐開自己 以迎合我們選擇置入
其中的事宜。
03:33
And so the key to time management is treating our priorities as the equivalent of
that broken water heater. To get at this, I like to use language from one of the busiest
people I ever interviewed. By busy, I mean she was running a small business with 12
people on the payroll, she had six children in her spare time. I was getting in touch
with her to set up an interview on how she "had it all" -- that phrase. I remember it
was a Thursday morning, and she was not available to speak with me. Of course,
right?
所以時間管理的關鍵是－ 如同故障的熱水器般 看待我們的要務！ 要明白這回
事的話... 我想要採用我所約談過 最忙碌者的話語來說； 就忙碌而言我指的是她
經營一間小公司－ 薪資帳上有 12 位員工， 空餘時間她還有六個孩子得應付。
我為了約談她如何冒出 「我擁有了一切！」， 持續與她聯絡； 我記得那天是
星期四上午， 而她不克與我洽談， 也難怪啦！
04:04
But the reason she was unavailable to speak with me is that she was out for a hike,
because it was a beautiful spring morning, and she wanted to go for a hike. So of
course this makes me even more intrigued, and when I finally do catch up with her,
she explains it like this. She says, "Listen Laura, everything I do, every minute I spend,
is my choice." And rather than say, "I don't have time to do x, y or z," she'd say, "I
don't do x, y or z because it's not a priority." "I don't have time," often means "It's
not a priority." If you think about it, that's really more accurate language. I could tell
you I don't have time to dust my blinds, but that's not true. If you offered to pay me
$100,000 to dust my blinds, I would get to it pretty quickly.
但是她不克與我洽談的理由 是她出門去健走！ 因為那是一個很美好的春季白天，
以及她想來個健走。 難怪這使得我更加興致勃勃， 當我終於和她搭上話時她
如此解釋： 「羅拉！我所做的每件事、 花的每一分鐘都是我的選擇！」 與其
說出「我沒空做這個、做那個」， 她會說我不做這個、做那個， 因為那不是我
的要務。 我沒有時間－經常代表那不是要務， 如果你動一下腦筋 那真的是更
正確的話語； 我可能告訴你我沒空擦拭百葉窗， 不過那不是真的... 如果你付十
萬美金給我 讓我去擦拭我的百葉窗， 我會立馬去做！
04:51(Laughter)
04:52
Since that is not going to happen, I can acknowledge this is not a matter of lacking
time; it's that I don't want to do it. Using this language reminds us that time is a
choice. And granted, there may be horrible consequences for making different
choices, I will give you that. But we are smart people, and certainly over the long run,
we have the power to fill our lives with the things that deserve to be there.
既然那款事不會發生的話， 我可以知道說這不是欠缺時間的事， 而是我不想去
做！ 使用這種話語提醒我們 時間是一個選擇。 倒也沒錯！ 做不同的選擇可能
會有糟糕的下場， 我將會給你補充； 但是我們是聰明人， 從長遠來看必然不
假－ 我們有本事憑藉值得留在生命裡的事情 來豐富我們的生命。
05:16
So how do we do that? How do we treat our priorities as the equivalent of that
broken water heater?
所以我們該如何做呢？ 我們怎樣一如那個故障熱水爐的同款事 看待我們的要務
呢？
05:23
Well, first we need to figure out what they are. I want to give you two strategies for
thinking about this. The first, on the professional side: I'm sure many people coming
up to the end of the year are giving or getting annual performance reviews. You look
back over your successes over the year, your "opportunities for growth." And this
serves its purpose, but I find it's more effective to do this looking forward. So I want
you to pretend it's the end of next year. You're giving yourself a performance review,
and it has been an absolutely amazing year for you professionally. What three to five
things did you do that made it so amazing? So you can write next year's performance
review now.
首先我們得找出它們是什麼， 我要給你們兩個考量的大方針， 第一、在專業工
作方面！ 我相信許多人快到年底時 會給出或收到年度考績； 你回首這一年的
成功－ 你飛黃騰達的機會。 這考績有其用處， 但是我發現放眼將來做這件事
更實用； 所以我要你們當成現在是明年年底， 您正要給自己打年度考績， 這
一年以來對你在職場上 無疑是個精采絕倫的一年！ 你做了哪三、五件事情 使
它如此精采絕倫？ 所以你現在就可以來寫 你明年的考績報告！
06:06
And you can do this for your personal life, too. I'm sure many of you, like me, come
December, get cards that contain these folded up sheets of colored paper, on which
is written what is known as the family holiday letter.
你也可以在你的居家生活上這樣做， 我相信你們許多人就跟我一樣... 到了十二
月收到賀卡 內附這些五彩繽紛折好的紙張， 上面寫的東西是眾所皆知的 「全
家近況年節拜會書」。
06:19(Laughter)
06:21
Bit of a wretched genre of literature, really, going on about how amazing everyone in
the household is, or even more scintillating, how busy everyone in the household is.
But these letters serve a purpose, which is that they tell your friends and family what
you did in your personal life that mattered to you over the year. So this year's kind of
done, but I want you to pretend it's the end of next year, and it has been an
absolutely amazing year for you and the people you care about. What three to five
things did you do that made it so amazing? So you can write next year's family
holiday letter now. Don't send it.
有點招搖派的文筆不假， 近乎關於在家戶裡的每個人 是如何的精采絕倫； 或
甚至更放閃的－ 家裡的每個人是如何忙碌。 但是這些書信有一個目的， 就是
它告訴你的親屬、友人 這一年來在你的私人生活上 你做過哪些對你重要的事情；
今年也差不多過完了， 但我要你們當成現在是明年年底了， 而且對於你和你
所關心的人 那是絕對精采絕倫的一年。 你做的哪些三、五件事 使得這一年如
此精采絕倫呢？ 現在你就可以寫明年的 全家近況年節拜會書。 不要寄出去！
07:00(Laughter)
07:01
Please, don't send it. But you can write it. And now, between the performance
review and the family holiday letter, we have a list of six to ten goals we can work on
in the next year.
敬請不要寄出去！ 但你可以寫下來， 在考績和全家近況佳節拜會書兩者間，
我們有六到十個目標的清單 我們可以在明年貫行。
07:12
And now we need to break these down into doable steps. So maybe you want to
write a family history. First, you can read some other family histories, get a sense for
the style. Then maybe think about the questions you want to ask your relatives, set
up appointments to interview them. Or maybe you want to run a 5K. So you need to
find a race and sign up, figure out a training plan, and dig those shoes out of the back
of the closet. And then -- this is key -- we treat our priorities as the equivalent of that
broken water heater, by putting them into our schedules first. We do this by thinking
through our weeks before we are in them.
現在我們需要將這些 拆分成落實的步驟， 或許你想要寫個家族史， 首先你可
以先讀他人的家族史， 對其寫法心裡有個底； 接著或許思索要問你親戚的問題，
排出約期面訪他們。 或是你想要來個五千公尺路跑， 所以你需要找一個賽程
而且報名、 擬定一個培訓計畫， 從你的壁櫥後頭翻出慢跑鞋來。 然後重點來
了－ 我們看待我們的要務 一如故障熱水爐的同款事， 將它們優先放入我們作
息表， 我們早在做這些事的數週前就在打算！
07:48
I find a really good time to do this is Friday afternoons. Friday afternoon is what an
economist might call a "low opportunity cost" time. Most of us are not sitting there
on Friday afternoons saying, "I am excited to make progress toward my personal and
professional priorities right now."
我發現做這款事的好時點是週五午後， 週五午後就是經濟學家可能 叫做「低機
會成本」的時間。 我們大多數不會在週五午後 坐定而嘴巴說著： 「我現在熱
血不已... 朝我的私人以及職場要務做出進展！」
08:06(Laughter)
08:07
But we are willing to think about what those should be. So take a little bit of time
Friday afternoon, make yourself a three-category priority list: career, relationships,
self. Making a three-category list reminds us that there should be something in all
three categories. Career, we think about; relationships, self -- not so much. But
anyway, just a short list, two to three items in each. Then look out over the whole of
the next week, and see where you can plan them in.
但是我們樂於省思 那些要務應該是些什麼。 所以週五午後花些時間 幫自己做
個三類要務清單： 事業、親友、自己。 做一個三類清單提醒自己 應該有些東
西這三類中都有的。 事業我們有想， 親友、本人就沒怎麼想到； 反正只是一
張短清單， 各類有兩到三項要務。 然後放眼一整個下星期，看看你可以把這些
要務規劃進哪邊。
08:39
Where you plan them in is up to you. I know this is going to be more complicated for
some people than others. I mean, some people's lives are just harder than others. It
is not going to be easy to find time to take that poetry class if you are caring for
multiple children on your own. I get that. And I don't want to minimize anyone's
struggle. But I do think that the numbers I am about to tell you are empowering.
規劃進何處取決於你， 我知道這對有些人來說 將會比其他人更不簡單， 我是
指有些人的生活 就是比其他人更吃緊； 如果你自己在帶幾個孩子時， 要找時
間上詩歌班將會不容易。 我了解這事！ 我不想淡化任何人的煎熬，但是我確實
認為 我要告訴你的數字是鼓舞人的。
09:04
There are 168 hours in a week. Twenty-four times seven is 168 hours. That is a lot of
time. If you are working a full-time job, so 40 hours a week, sleeping eight hours a
night, so 56 hours a week -- that leaves 72 hours for other things. That is a lot of
time. You say you're working 50 hours a week, maybe a main job and a side hustle.
Well, that leaves 62 hours for other things. You say you're working 60 hours. Well,
that leaves 52 hours for other things. You say you're working more than 60 hours.
Well, are you sure?
一星期有 168 個小時－ 24 乘以 7 是 168 小時， 那是大量的時間！ 如果你有全
職的工作 一星期也就 40 小時、 晚上睡 8 小時一星期也就 56 小時 ， 還剩 72 小
時給其他事情用， 那是很多時間！ 你說你一星期 50 小時在工作中， 可能是全
職還有假日兼差， 這樣還剩 62 小時給其他事情用； 你說你一星期 60 小時工作
中， 這樣還剩 52 小時做其他事； 你說你一星期超過 60 小時工作中，你沒搞錯
吧？
09:44(Laughter)
09:46
There was once a study comparing people's estimated work weeks with time diaries.
They found that people claiming 75-plus-hour work weeks were off by about 25
hours.
曾經有個研究比較常人的 估算工作週時和時間日記帳 他們發現宣稱工作週時
超過 75 小時的人...
09:55(Laughter)
09:57
You can guess in which direction, right? Anyway, in 168 hours a week, I think we can
find time for what matters to you. If you want to spend more time with your kids, you
want to study more for a test you're taking, you want to exercise for three hours and
volunteer for two, you can. And that's even if you're working way more than full-time
hours.
你可料到落在哪一個方向對吧！ 反正一週 168 小時中 我認為我們可以找到時間
給你認為對你重要的事用； 如果你要有更多的時間陪小孩、 為你即將參加的考
試多做點功課、 你要運動 3 小時和當義工 2 小時， 你可以的！
10:19
So we have plenty of time, which is great, because guess what? We don't even need
that much time to do amazing things. But when most of us have bits of time, what do
we do? Pull out the phone, right? Start deleting emails. Otherwise, we're puttering
around the house or watching TV.
即便你工作的時間多過全職工時... 所以我們有大量的時間真的很棒， 因為你猜
怎麼著， 我們甚至不需要那麼多時間 來做精采絕倫的事情。 但是當我們大多
數有些許時間時 我們拿來做什麼呢？ 拿出智慧手機對吧， 開始刪除電子郵件；
否則我們就在屋子裡到處慢慢摸，或者不停看電視。

10:37
But small moments can have great power. You can use your bits of time for bits of
joy. Maybe it's choosing to read something wonderful on the bus on the way to work.
I know when I had a job that required two bus rides and a subway ride every
morning, I used to go to the library on weekends to get stuff to read. It made the
whole experience almost, almost, enjoyable. Breaks at work can be used for
meditating or praying. If family dinner is out because of your crazy work schedule,
maybe family breakfast could be a good substitute.
但是一時半刻可以有有巨大的力量！ 你可利用少許的時間做有樂子的事， 也許
選擇在上班途中的公車上 閱讀一些精采的讀物。 我記得當我曾經有一份工作
每天早上需要坐兩段公車和一段地鐵， 我當時週末常去圖書館取得讀物， 這讓
整個歷程近乎趣味橫生。 工作的休息時間可以拿來冥想或祈禱； 如果因為你不
合理的工作作息表 錯過了家庭晚餐， 或許家庭早餐可以是個好替換。
11:13
It's about looking at the whole of one's time and seeing where the good stuff can go.
I truly believe this. There is time. Even if we are busy, we have time for what matters.
And when we focus on what matters, we can build the lives we want in the time
we've got.
這不外乎看一個人全部的時間， 看看好事情可以放到哪邊。 我真心相信－ 時
間不是沒有！ 即使我們很忙， 我們有時間做要緊的事， 當我們專注在要緊的
事， 我們可以在我們獲得的時間內 營造我們想要的生活！
11:38Thank you.
11:39(Applause)