Time to start time blocking?
One approach to being less overwhelmed.
The period from September until December feels to me like a snowball rolling down a hill, increasing in size and gathering speed. I’m usually fairly overwhelmed by it, and every time a new thing goes into my calendar, I feel a spike in anxiety.
Drilling down into why this happens, I think it’s because I already feel so behind on things I need to do and deliver. And the new thing gets added to the giant lump of things labelled ‘To do,’ which becomes larger in size and more unwieldy. So any bit of time that’s taken away from me makes it feel as though there just won’t be enough time to tackle the mountain.
But this is the opposite of what research and practice shows. There’s Parkinson’s Law, which says that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion."
The more time you have to do something, the more you will allow for the work to take up all of that time. If I spend all my time concerned about this ‘To Do Giant,’ that’s going to lead to disaster.
However, if you break things down into smaller pieces — and constrain the time allocated to each individual thing — you’ll feel far more in control of your time, and far more accomplished. Why? Because you’re actually doing things. And making progress!
It’s why I plan to be more conscious about how I allocate my time to things for the rest of this year. Like the ~2 hours I dedicate to this newsletter, so too will I assign time to everything else on my to-do list.
This includes things I need to do for my finances, of course (like switching to a lower cost stocks and shares ISA).
And, above all, I intend to be more present, rather than worrying about what’s next. Because there are lots of great things happening, and there is lots of joy to be found if you seek it. So I hear.
Join me?
1. Britons are still cash heavy - and there’s a push for more regulation to change this
Research of savers who already have more than six months’ income in cash savings found that there is £430 billion in cash that could be invested - but isn’t.
This is partly because:
A fifth of people who do not currently invest think they have insufficient knowledge
A quarter said that investing was too complicated
What’s most interesting about this article is the bigger picture side of things.
While Barclays (who are behind the research) say that one of the issues is that individuals are sabotaging their financial wellbeing through not investing, the other issue is that UK capital markets are being underinvested in — and these “could see a boost if more savers were to invest.”
This is echoed by Fidelity International — who said the UK stock market was trading “pretty close” to “absolute bargain territory”. By comparison, the value of US stocks is “close to their recent peaks.”
The FCA is due to “build an advice and guidance framework which consumers can trust, recognising the complexity faced by consumers in making financial decisions.”
Watch this space…
2. Women and younger generations are the most likely to want control over their pensions
This week was Pension Awareness Week in the UK.
I was not aware, until something from Felicia, founder of TILLIT, popped up on my LinkedIn feed!
They’ve done some research and found that a growing number of investors want their investments to make a positive impact on the planet and society — or at the very least, cause no harm.
45% of respondents want more control over how their pension is invested, 41% are neutral, and just 13% disagree
What’s most interesting is that it’s women and younger generations who are more likely to want control, compared with male and older respondents.
3. Some great money and work and life advice
Particularly…
Money:
No one is coming to save you (oof, but yes)
Save and invest (ofc)
But don’t be too frugal!
Buy the best you can afford, and use it
Work:
It’s fun to work hard at something you love
Meaningful work is hard to find, but it is the only thing worth seeking
Creative work is a long game, and you’re probably not going to do your best work until your 30s or 40s
Jobs:
Eliminate the bad, i.e. don’t suck
Turn your ideas into solutions
Perfectly honour your word
Find people you like, and work with them as much as possible
Write short, effective emails
Have a clear point, and make it succinctly
Dress the part
Keep detailed records — this is SO important!
Keep a record of your responsibilities, accomplishments, hours worked, etc. Make them extremely detailed, and always date them. When promotion time rolls around, and you need to make a case for yourself, you’ll be glad you did.
Same goes for updating your resume or portfolio.
On the flip side, if you have an abusive boss (been there), you should keep detailed records of what they did and said to you in case it’s “your word against theirs.” Take screenshots of anything they put in writing. It sucks that you have to do this, but you should.
MONEY
The rental market continues to be a nightmare. In the UK, about 21 people are competing for every rental property
Can you afford not to be superstitious? Houses numbered 13 are valued at £5,521 lower than the average of £364,139. And there are fewer property completions on the 13th day of the month!
What’s your ‘money script’? To break bad habits, it helps to know where they come from
Plus, a reminder that the 2 for 1 pizza deal is still on at Pizza Express…
Have a wonderful week!
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