168 Hours
You Have More Time Than You Think
Book Edition Details
Summary
"168 Hours (2010) provides a revolutionary strategy to manage your time. Author Laura Vanderkam has discovered that successful people have a unique mindset, one that helps them fit everything they value into their week. By learning to time-manage like they do, you can free yourself from the daily grind and focus on what really matters. "
Introduction
Picture this: you wake up exhausted, rush through your morning routine, spend your day in back-to-back meetings or juggling endless tasks, race home to family obligations, collapse in bed, and repeat. Sound familiar? If you're like most people, you feel trapped in a cycle of time scarcity, constantly telling yourself "I don't have time" for the things that truly matter. But what if this feeling of being perpetually behind is actually an illusion? What if you have far more time than you realize, and the real issue isn't the quantity of hours available, but how you're choosing to use them? The truth is, we all get the same 168 hours each week, and some people manage to build thriving careers, nurture deep relationships, maintain their health, and pursue meaningful passions within that exact same timeframe. The difference isn't luck or superhuman abilities—it's a fundamental shift in how they view and manage their time. This isn't about cramming more activities into an already packed schedule; it's about making conscious choices that align your hours with your deepest values and highest priorities.
Discover Your Core Competencies and True Priorities
At the heart of time mastery lies a powerful concept: core competencies. Just as successful companies focus on what they do best and outsource everything else, the most fulfilled individuals concentrate their precious hours on activities where they excel and that others cannot do nearly as well. Your core competencies are the intersection of your natural talents, deepest interests, and the unique value you bring to the world. Consider the remarkable story of Roald Hoffmann, who survived the Holocaust as a child by hiding in an attic for over a year. During those terrifying months, young Hoffmann developed what he calls his greatest skill: watching and observing. He would peer through a small hole in the wall, studying the changing seasons and recording everything in his memory. This childhood experience of intense observation became the foundation for his later success as a Nobel Prize-winning chemist. But here's where the story gets fascinating—decades later, Hoffmann began writing poetry, applying that same gift of careful observation to capture the beauty and complexity of life in verse. Hoffmann's transformation from survivor to scientist to poet illustrates a crucial principle: your core competencies can be leveraged across multiple areas of your life. Rather than spreading himself thin across numerous activities, he focused intensely on what he did best—observing, analyzing, and making connections—and applied these skills wherever they could create the most impact. His success came not from working more hours, but from working on the right things during those hours. To discover your own core competencies, start by examining the activities that energize rather than drain you. Pay attention to what you loved doing as a child, before external pressures shaped your choices. Notice when time seems to fly by because you're completely absorbed in what you're doing. Create your own "List of 100 Dreams"—everything you've ever wanted to do, learn, or experience. Don't edit yourself; include both profound aspirations and simple pleasures. Then experiment with items from this list, observing which activities make you feel most alive and capable. Remember, identifying your core competencies isn't about becoming selfish or ignoring your responsibilities. It's about recognizing that when you operate from your strengths, you serve everyone better—your family, your community, and yourself.
Design Your Career Around What You Love
The right job isn't just about earning money or gaining status—it's about finding work that taps into your intrinsic motivations and allows you to operate in a state of flow. When you love what you do, extraordinary things become possible, not just in your career but in every aspect of your life. The energy and satisfaction you gain from meaningful work radiates outward, making you more present with your family, more creative in your pursuits, and more resilient in facing challenges. Take the inspiring journey of marine biologist Sylvia Earle, who discovered her passion for the ocean at age three when a wave knocked her over at the Jersey shore. Rather than frightening her away from water, this experience created what she calls an "irresistible urge to submerge." Earle has spent over 7,000 hours underwater, conducting groundbreaking research that has advanced our understanding of marine ecosystems. When asked about her work, even after decades in the field, her voice lights up with genuine excitement as she describes new discoveries and upcoming expeditions. Earle's career breakthrough came when she was chosen to live underwater for two weeks in an experimental habitat called Tektite. This experience not only advanced marine science but also catapulted her into the public eye, giving her a platform to advocate for ocean conservation. The key lesson from her story isn't just about following your passion—it's about the compound effect of loving what you do. Because Earle was genuinely fascinated by marine life, she willingly invested the thousands of hours necessary to become world-class in her field. Her enthusiasm made the hard work feel effortless, creating a virtuous cycle of expertise, recognition, and opportunity. To design your career around what you love, start by identifying your intrinsic motivations—the activities you'd engage in even without external rewards. Look for patterns in your "List of 100 Dreams" related to work and contribution. Ask yourself: what problems do you find yourself naturally drawn to solve? What would you do if money were no object? Then seek out or create opportunities that allow you to spend increasing amounts of time on these intrinsically motivating activities. Don't wait for someone else to hand you your dream job. In today's economy, the most fulfilling careers are often created rather than found. Whether you're working within an organization or building something from scratch, approach your career with an entrepreneurial mindset, constantly looking for ways to align your daily activities with your deeper purpose and natural strengths.
Optimize Your Home Life Through Smart Outsourcing
One of the biggest myths about time management is that doing everything yourself demonstrates love, commitment, or virtue. In reality, the opposite is often true. When you spend hours on tasks that drain your energy and don't utilize your core competencies, you're actually stealing time from the people and activities you care about most. Smart outsourcing isn't about being lazy—it's about being strategic with your most precious resource. Consider the eye-opening experience of software developer Sid Savara, who discovered he was spending fifteen hours per week on food-related tasks. Between grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning up, these necessary but time-consuming activities were consuming more time than he spent on his hobbies and personal relationships combined. Instead of accepting this as inevitable, Savara took an entrepreneurial approach to his personal life. He posted an ad on Craigslist seeking a personal chef and found someone willing to prepare twelve healthy meals per week for just sixty dollars plus groceries. The transformation was remarkable. Not only did Savara reclaim ten hours per week, but the quality of his meals actually improved because his chef was more skilled and efficient at meal planning and preparation. The money he thought he was saving by doing everything himself had been an illusion—when he factored in the time cost of multiple grocery runs, food waste from poor planning, and expensive last-minute takeout orders, the personal chef actually saved him money while dramatically improving his quality of life. Savara's success with food preparation inspired him to examine other areas where he could apply the same principle. He began using a wash-and-fold laundry service, which freed up additional hours while ensuring his clothes were cleaned and folded more professionally than he would ever do himself. The cumulative effect of these changes was transformative—suddenly he had time for guitar practice, exercise, and meaningful relationships. To optimize your own home life, start by tracking how you currently spend time on household activities. Identify tasks that consume significant time but don't require your unique skills or provide genuine satisfaction. Research local services or creative solutions for these activities—from grocery delivery to house cleaning to lawn care. Calculate the true cost of doing these tasks yourself, including the opportunity cost of what else you could be doing with that time. Remember, if you can earn more per hour than a service costs, outsourcing becomes not just convenient but financially smart. The goal isn't to outsource everything, but to create space for what matters most—whether that's career advancement, family time, or personal growth. When you stop doing what you hate or what others can do better, you can focus your energy on activities that only you can do.
Create Meaningful Leisure Time and Deep Relationships
True leisure isn't about collapsing in front of the television after a long day—it's about intentionally choosing activities that restore, energize, and fulfill you. The most satisfied people don't just work hard; they also play well, investing time in relationships and pursuits that add meaning and joy to their lives. This requires the same strategic thinking you'd apply to any important project. Look at the inspiring example of Alexi Panos, a successful model and television host who decided she wanted to do something meaningful beyond her entertainment career. After a trip to South Africa opened her eyes to global poverty, she could have simply written a check to charity and moved on. Instead, she took a more hands-on approach, traveling to Tanzania to understand what local communities actually needed. What she discovered surprised her—rather than food or medical supplies, villagers consistently told her their biggest need was clean water. Panos transformed this insight into action by founding EPIC (Everyday People Initiating Change) and committing to build wells in Tanzanian villages. She carved out an hour every morning before her modeling shoots and television appearances to handle the administrative work of running her nonprofit. She spent her vacations not on beaches or shopping trips, but in African villages, working alongside engineers and community leaders to ensure each well would be sustainable long-term. The result has been profound, both for the communities she serves and for her own sense of purpose. Over several years, EPIC has built five wells serving thousands of people, each one reducing waterborne illness and freeing children to attend school instead of walking miles for water. For Panos, this work has become a source of energy and meaning that actually enhances her performance in her entertainment career. To create meaningful leisure time in your own life, start by choosing a small number of activities—ideally no more than three—that truly energize and engage you. One of these should involve physical activity, as exercise is non-negotiable for both physical and mental well-being. Look for activities that challenge you appropriately, where you can see progress over time and potentially make a meaningful contribution to others. Block out specific times in your schedule for these activities, just as you would for important work meetings. Resist the temptation to fill every free moment with productivity; instead, create space for genuine rest and spontaneous connection. Use the principle of alignment to build relationships while pursuing your interests—exercise with friends, volunteer with family members, or choose activities where you'll meet like-minded people. Remember that investing in relationships and personal fulfillment isn't selfish; it's what gives you the energy and perspective to show up fully in all areas of your life.
Summary
The path to mastering your 168 hours isn't about working harder or sleeping less—it's about making conscious choices that align your time with your deepest values and highest capabilities. As the research clearly shows, we all have far more time available than we realize, but most of us squander it on activities that neither fulfill us nor serve others. The secret lies in identifying your core competencies and building your life around them, whether that means designing a career that energizes rather than drains you, outsourcing household tasks that don't require your unique skills, or investing in leisure activities and relationships that restore your soul. As one successful time master puts it: "Everything that I do, every minute I spend is my choice." When you truly embrace this mindset, you'll discover that there really is time for everything that matters. Start today by choosing just one area—work, home, or leisure—where you'll begin aligning your hours with your priorities. The life you want isn't found in some mythical future when you'll have more time; it's waiting to be created within the 168 hours you already have.
By Laura Vanderkam
