Creating the 8th Day
Sunday Scoop #51 - This week, I thought it’d be nice for me to write about a concept I shared with the Lab Members during Crash Course #2 on how to create an 8th day in your week.
Hey friends,
The very 1st four-week long UCAS Lab Cohort just came to an end yesterday. The past month flew us by, but the community that we successfully built around the UCAS Application Process is one that would remain my proudest achievement for the foreseeable future.
Anyways, following the resumption of classes, we decided to offer “🏎 Self-Paced Cohort“ for Cohort 3 and beyond. It comes at our cheapest price ever and that includes twice-a-week Q&As with the Lab Founders! If that interests you, feel free to check it out by clicking on the button below!
This week, I thought it’d be nice for me to write about a concept I shared with the Lab Members during Crash Course #2 - Juggling Your Commitments.
In the Crash Course, I shared about how most of us often chunk time into 1-hour slots when we’re planning out our day.
By default, most calendar software (GCal, Fantastical, Apple Calendar) works the same way too. When you choose to create a new event for 9pm, it would automatically set the duration of the event to be 1 hour (9pm to 10pm).
I never found a problem with this system default in our thinking, right up till the day I came across this quote by Austin Kleon in Show Your Work.
This led to an interesting realization.
It’s could be 1.17pm.
I’ve just finished my lunch and I’m chilling on the couch, scrolling through Instagram.
I’ve got some stuff planned at 2pm (meetings or some other stuff to attend to) and that leaves me 43 minutes to do whatever I want.
By default, I would then start watching a random episode of sitcom on Netflix. I may watch two 20-minutes episode which would then lead me to 2pm, by when I’m “supposed“ to start my work.
And this runs through a loop everyday. 43 minutes, everyday.
That’s just over 5 hours per week; almost an entire day per month!
I could’ve very easily relaxed for another 3 minutes, get started by 1.20pm and feel better about myself as I ticked a few To-Dos off my List.
Especially when it comes to practicing skills. If I could practice coding Python for 30 minutes everyday, that would compound over the long term and bring me much more fulfilment and utility as compared to 2 seasons off my Netflix watchlist.
By thinking of time in 15-minute windows instead 60-minute windows, I can effectively create an 8th day in my week!
You find time the same place you find spare change: in the nooks and crannies.
With that said, I hope that this issue of the Sunday Scoop newsletter brought you value in some way, shape or form.
Stay productive, my friends. And all the best.
See you next week.
Jia Shing.