Buckets of Time

Time is a valuable resource that often leaves us longing for more hours to conquer our ever-expanding to-do lists. The relentless stream of emails, meetings, and responsibilities can easily hijack our concentration, reminding us that while we have 24 hours at our disposal, we don't have 24 hours of attention a day.

In this episode of the Rework podcast, 37signals co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson sit down with Kimberly Rhodes to present the concept of "bucketing" your time to make the most of your valuable hours.

Tune in as Jason and David share their personal experiences with effective time bucketing, how they've successfully applied this strategy at 37signals, and the unique features offered by HEY, that allow users to manage their email within designated time buckets.

Listen in to learn about the transformative power of time bucketing and escape the chaotic distractions for more control over your schedule, enhanced productivity, and a more balanced approach to work. 

Show Notes: 

[00:00] - Time is our most precious resource, today, Jason and David sit down with Kimberly to talk about the concept of bucketing your time.

[00:39] - David shares how he most effectively buckets his time using one of the best features of HEY.

[01:38] - How bucketing time helps teach you about efficiency and places limits on the amount of time you spend on specific tasks while still providing value. 

[03:27] - Jason shares the key to bucketing your time efficiently. 

[04:24] - The key to staying consciously focused. 

[05:24] - The difference between moving projects forward and just “doing stuff.” 

[06:17] - Squandered time creates a recipe for dread and dissatisfaction with work. 

[07:19] - Jason shares why he says no to attention-splintering obligations. 

[08:50] - “It's not just about time. It's about the commitment that you make, that you will not change your mind during that short period of time.”

[09:32] - Bucketing time is for individuals, teams, and organizations who want to avoid the whiplash of being pulled back and forth and into and out of things.

[10:11] - Why committing to completing is the key to moving forward.  

[10:50] - Time and attention are very different things, and while you have 24 hours a day, you don't have 24 hours of attention a day.

[12:30] - Humans don’t multitask: David shares the behind-the-scenes cost of breaking the flow.

[13:21] - How 37signals has only three programmers working on features for Basecamp AND they're shipping stuff every six weeks. 

[14:34] - It starts at the top—how to break the addiction to ASAP pills to change the culture at your organization for better productivity, as depicted in Rework.

[15:07] - Redefining your relationship with what's urgent.

[15:55] - The key to telling yourself a different story for more control over your time. 

[17:35] - Setting boundaries can make you appear more valuable. 

[18:16] - Rework is a production of 37signals. You can find show notes and transcripts on our website here. 

[18:25] - If you have a question for David and Jason about running a business, leave a voicemail at 708-628-7850 or email us with questions to have it answered on an upcoming episode.

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