What will I learn about: why keeping a meticulous time log is essential for taking control of your days, as most of us drastically overestimate the number of hours we actually spend working?

Discover why keeping a meticulous time log is essential for taking control of your days, as most of us drastically overestimate the number of hours we actually spend working.

What will I learn about: overcome the psychological resistance to tracking your time so you can consciously recalibrate your schedule and replace time-wasting habits with meaningful pursuits?

Learn how to overcome the psychological resistance to tracking your time so you can consciously recalibrate your schedule and replace time-wasting habits with meaningful pursuits.

What will I learn about: how engaging in novel and adventurous experiences can actually stretch your perception of time, preventing precious years from vanishing into the black hole of daily routines?

Understand how engaging in novel and adventurous experiences can actually stretch your perception of time, preventing precious years from vanishing into the black hole of daily routines.

What will I learn about: why professional insecurities drive us to overstuff our calendars with meaningless meetings just to get the mental reassurance that we are being productive?

Find out why professional insecurities drive us to overstuff our calendars with meaningless meetings just to get the mental reassurance that we are being productive.

What will I learn about: the art of freeing up your schedule by rejecting the modern obsession with busyness and embracing the true value of uninterrupted, unscheduled thinking time?

Master the art of freeing up your schedule by rejecting the modern obsession with busyness and embracing the true value of uninterrupted, unscheduled thinking time.

Off the Clock

Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done

Laura Vanderkam

★ 4.4 / 5(138 ratings)

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Categories:

Productivity

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Have you ever wondered why some people always seem to have plenty of time, while others feel like their days are constantly slipping through their fingers?
💡What if the secret to getting more done isn't working longer hours, but learning how to achieve more in much shorter intervals?
💡Are you curious about the specific scientific insights that can help you stop feeling perpetually busy and finally start feeling 'off the clock'?

Listen to Off the Clock — Free Audiobook

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Key Takeaways from Off the Clock

✓Discover why keeping a meticulous time log is essential for taking control of your days, as most of us drastically overestimate the number of hours we actually spend working.
✓Learn how to overcome the psychological resistance to tracking your time so you can consciously recalibrate your schedule and replace time-wasting habits with meaningful pursuits.
✓Understand how engaging in novel and adventurous experiences can actually stretch your perception of time, preventing precious years from vanishing into the black hole of daily routines.
✓Find out why professional insecurities drive us to overstuff our calendars with meaningless meetings just to get the mental reassurance that we are being productive.
✓Master the art of freeing up your schedule by rejecting the modern obsession with busyness and embracing the true value of uninterrupted, unscheduled thinking time.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Off the Clock

Mind Map

Off the Clock

Time Tracking & Awareness+

Making Time Memorable+

Escaping the Busyness Trap+

Prioritizing Relationships+

Managing Expectations+

Spending for Happiness+

Five Strategies to Stretch Time+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 7

According to the author's research and time-tracking logs, what is a common realization people have about their work hours?

A. They work significantly fewer hours than they claim or believe.
B. They spend more time working than sleeping.
C. They accurately estimate their work hours but underestimate leisure time.
D. They work more hours than they are officially paid for.

Question 2 of 7

Why does engaging in a strict, unchanging daily routine make time feel like it is passing faster or disappearing?

A. Routines cause mental fatigue, which impairs our ability to track hours.
B. The brain does not catalogue routine time, often storing hundreds of repeated events as a single memory.
C. People with strict routines naturally have less free time available.
D. Routines increase our productivity, leaving less time for reflection.

Question 3 of 7

Why do many professionals dislike having 'white space' or unscheduled time on their calendars?

A. They fear their employers will think they are lazy and fire them.
B. Unscheduled time forces them to interact with colleagues they dislike.
C. A jammed schedule provides mental reassurance that they are doing something productive and important.
D. They are financially compensated based on the number of meetings they attend.

Question 4 of 7

What counterintuitive effect does spending leisurely time with friends and family have on our perception of time?

A. It makes us feel like we have less time because social events are often poorly scheduled.
B. It creates a relaxing, feel-good experience that actually makes us feel as though we have more time in general.
C. It distorts our memory, making the weekend feel significantly shorter than the workweek.
D. It increases our anxiety about unfinished work tasks, making time feel rushed.

Question 5 of 7

How does lowering your expectations about what you should accomplish affect your productivity?

A. It reduces productivity by encouraging procrastination.
B. It eliminates the worry of unproductivity, allowing you to actually achieve more in the small windows of time you have.
C. It forces you to delegate tasks to others, freeing up your schedule.
D. It decreases the quality of your work, though tasks are completed faster.

Question 6 of 7

According to the book, what is the most effective way to use money to boost your hour-to-hour happiness?

A. Investing it in long-term savings to increase overall life satisfaction.
B. Purchasing high-quality physical objects that provide immediate joy.
C. Spending it on pleasant experiences or using it to minimize miserable daily activities like a long commute.
D. Donating it to charity to build a sense of community and purpose.

Question 7 of 7

What strategy does the author suggest for deciding whether to say 'yes' to a future obligation?

A. Ask yourself if the obligation will directly lead to a financial reward.
B. Ask yourself if you would be willing to cancel things to do this obligation tomorrow.
C. Accept the obligation only if it takes less than 30 minutes to complete.
D. Always say yes to professional obligations, but say no to personal ones.

Off the Clock — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
2Learn exactly how you’re spending your time, even if the truth scares you, by keeping a log.
3Make your hours unforgettable by filling them with vivid and exciting moments.
4Our own insecurities keep us feeling constantly busy, so learn how to free up your calendar.
5Spending time with loved ones can stretch your sense of time, and may even lengthen your life.
6Accept the limits on your time and gently lower your expectations.
7Spend your money on extending good experiences and shrinking unpleasant ones.
8Exclusive: Make time for adventures.

Off the Clock Summary & Overview

Off the Clock (2018) gives practical advice on how to get more out of your time, from freeing up your busy schedule to achieving more work in shorter intervals. Using personal anecdotes as well as scientific insights, Vanderkam explores why some of us feel like we have all the time in the world, while others feel as though time is slipping through their fingers.

In an exclusive blink, Laura Vanderkam explains what you can do today to feel less busy and get more done.

Who Should Listen to Off the Clock?

Anyone struggling with time management
Workaholics looking for productivity tips
Psychology enthusiasts looking for new insights

About the Author: Laura Vanderkam

Laura Vanderkam has authored several productivity and time-management books. Her 2016 TED talk, “How to Gain Control of Your Free Time,” has racked up over five million views, and she has contributed to publications such as the New York Times, Fast Company and Fortune.

Off the Clock

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to Off the Clock — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from Off the Clock

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Off the Clock — Full Chapter Overview

Off the Clock Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to Off the Clock?

About the Author: Laura Vanderkam

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