168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think

by Laura Vanderkam

“A job is, in essence, a bundle of tasks that have been clumped together and assigned to an individual,”

Broadly, those who get the most out of life try to figure out and focus on their core competencies. They know that at least one key difference between happy, successful people, and those just muddling along is that the happy ones spend as many of their 168 hours as possible on their core competencies—honing their focus to get somewhere—and, like modern corporations, chucking everything else.

Personal care (with a subcategory of “sleep”) Eating and drinking Household activities (housework, food prep and cleanup, lawn and garden care, household management) Purchasing goods and services (grocery shopping, purchasing consumer goods) Caring for and helping household members (with a broad subcategory of “children,” which is then broken down to physical care, education-related activities, reading to/with children, and playing/doing hobbies with children) Caring for and helping nonhousehold members Working and work-related activities, including commuting Educational activities Organizational, civic, and religious activities Leisure and sports (socializing and communicating, watching TV, participating in sports, exercise, and recreation) Telephone calls, mail and e-mail Other activities