Off the Clock

by Laura Vanderkam

My love of books examining productivity and time management is no secret, but I’ve been leaning away from books that want to tell me how to cram more activity into the house I have, and looking eagerly for books that examine how to be efficient and selective about the work I’m doing with my time. This book focuses on the idea of being “off the clock,” or, more specifically, “time freedom,” the expanse of schedule where there is no immediate next thing to do:

Being off the clock implies time freedom, yet time freedom stems from time discipline. You must know where the time goes in order to transcend the ceaseless ticking.

So I have to know where my time is going to be a better manager of it. On it!

Vanderkam recommends a few different methods of rethinking one’s attitude about time, and, if you’re into data, keeping a time log for a day or a week, recording exactly where one’s time is going. As always, “What gets measured, gets managed.” Part of the book examines the time records of a collection of volunteers, and examines what folks are doing with their time, and which folks say they feel like they have enough of it. That part, though necessary at the outset, grew into a section or topic I’d skim quickly.

The other part is prescriptive and structured with questions and reframing exercises which encourage readers to examine and rethink their usage of their time. This part I liked a LOT. One key message Iam still thinking about: “What would it be like to have nothing on your schedule that did not ‘spark joy’?” Just as Marie Kondo’s decluttering method is about making deliberate choices of what to keep and surround yourself with, this book explains methods that allow one to make deliberate, mindful choices about what one can choose to do, and choose not to do.

My favorite idea from this book is the concept of a calendar “jubilee year,” wherein, if possible, one removes all commitments and scheduled activities from a calendar. Then, starting from scratch, add back in activities and commitments deliberately, asking “why am I doing this?” or “does this activity make me happy?”

If you think a lot about the time you have, and how to enjoy more of it or how to enjoy that time more deliberately, this book might really work for you. I’ve already been focused intently for awhile on being more mindful of the time I have and how I spend it (hence Organization Academy, which is all about calendar decluttering and automation) and I really like exploring books, especially those written by women, which examine the same thing.

– SB Sarah

“I well recall a conversation with an executive I hoped to interview about her astonishing productivity. I began our call with an assurance that I would not take much of her time. She laughed. ‘Oh, I have all the time in the world,’ she said.”

Most of us feel constantly behind, unsure how to escape feeling oppressed by busyness. Laura Vanderkam, unlike other time-management gurus, believes that in order to get more done, we must first feel like we have all the time in the world. Think about it: why haven’t you trained for that 5K or read War and Peace? Probably because you feel beaten down by all the time you don’t seem to have.

In this book, Vanderkam reveals the seven counterintuitive principles the most time-free people have adopted. She teaches mindset shifts to help you feel calm on the busiest days and tools to help you get more done without feeling overwhelmed. You’ll meet people such as…

♦ An elementary school principal who figured out how to spend more time mentoring teachers, and less time supervising the cafeteria

♦ An executive who builds lots of meeting-free space into his calendar, despite managing teams across multiple continents

♦ A CEO who does focused work in a Waffle House early in the morning, so he can keep an open door and a relaxed mindset all day

♦ An artist who overcame a creative block, and reached new heights of productivity, by being more gentle with herself, rather than more demanding

The strategies in this book can help if your life feels out of control, but they can also help if you want to take your career, your relationships, and your personal happiness to the next level. Vanderkam has packed this book with insights from busy yet relaxed professionals, including “time makeovers” of people who are learning how to use these tools. Off the Clock can inspire the rest of us to create lives that are not only productive, but enjoyable in the moment.

Nonfiction