Stop looking for excuses. Take back your time. Be an actor of your life.
« I don’t have time. »
It’s become a universal refrain. Yet it’s not time that’s in short supply, it’s the way we manage it that’s eluding us. In this article, I offer you a lucid look at the thieves of modern time, and a concrete challenge to take back control. Objective: free up at least 1 hour a day. Yes, you read that right. And no, I’m not (completely) crazy..
Time thieves of the 21st century
We live in an age where attention is like money. And we spend it without realizing the cost. Here are the most time-consuming activities that eat up our days :
- Social networking : endless scrolling, constant notifications, constant comparison.
- Emails : compulsive consultation, useless answers, endless chains.
- Web : shopping, reading, digital wanderings.
- Domestic organization : meals, logistics, cleaning.
- Transports : long journeys, traffic jams, waiting times.
- Meetings : often unnecessary, sometimes avoidable.
- TV & streaming : Netflix, YouTube, endless soaps.
- Shopping : back and forth, queues, decisions.
- YOUR PHONE : games, SMS, podcasts, non-essential calls.
📱 A recent study shows that we spend an average of 5 hours a day on our smartphone. That’s a third of our life in front of a screen.
The invisible cost of our lost time
Let’s take a simple example :
➡️ 30 minutes a day on your smartphone = 182.5 hours a year
➡️ 22 full days of 8 hours each.
Imagine what you could do instead:
- Training
Creating a project
Reading, meditating, walking
Spending time with loved ones
Thinking about your future
🎁 The gift: The 7-Day Challenge
Do you want to stop saying “I don’t have time”? Then here’s my challenge for you:
Step 1: Observe
For 7 days, write down everything you do, minute by minute.
Be precise. Every change in activity deserves a line.
Also activate your smartphone’s screen time function.
Step 2: Consolidate
At the end of the 7 days, group your activities by theme: business, personal, screen, logistics, etc.
Step 3: Decide
Ask yourself these 4 powerful questions for each activity :
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how well does this activity support my most important values and goals ?
- Does this activity really need to be performed? Can it be automated, delegated or bundled ?
- What would be the best thing that could happen to me if I stopped this activity?
- What would be the worst thing that could happen to me if I stopped it temporarily or permanently?
You have the power to take back your time.
Not tomorrow. Not when it’s quieter. Now.
This challenge isn’t a fad. It’s an invitation to reconnect with what really matters.
🎯 So, are you ready to free up 1 hour a day and change your life?
👉 Prepare your tracking grid, launch the challenge,
💬 Share your results with me. I’ll support you in your transformation.
📩 contact@franck-martin.com
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