How I Find Time to Work on Myself with a Full Time Job

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I made this app because I wanted to share the to-do list system that has helped me stay accountable and get things done.

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I don't control whether or not this is considered toxic productivity or not.

But, I don't want this to be another contribution to toxic productivity. You be the judge.

This is actually about time management and putting into light the fact that there's a reason why you feel bad doing "nothing" – playing video games, doom scrolling on your phone, and or binging Netflix.

You're not being lazy.

It's just that you're not being intentional with your time and you're actually signalling to yourself that you want more out of life.

My default behaviour when I'm not being intentional with my time as an example is that I go on my phone. And on my phone, I have big video game distraction installed. The game is called Marvel Snap.

I would go on Marvel Snap and play until I felt terrible or realized I was wasting my time.

And with that said, I want to bring up the difference between progressive work and maintenance work.

//Maintenance Work vs. Progressive Work

Maintenance work are the necessary things you need to do in order to keep your life running smoothly.

Using my Marvel Snap behavior as an example, I actually don't feel as bad when I plan out a specific time to play it and that's because it becomes intentional.

It becomes maintenance work for me because it helps keep me sane. It keeps me away from burning out from doing all this writing, programming apps, working a 9-5, etc.

Your 9-5 is also what I would consider maintenance work. For me, I need my 9-5 because I need it to keep the cash flowing. It's something that I need in order to save up, go on trips, pay my student loans, and things like that.

Now, progressive work is pretty self explanatory. It's any work that you put in that will progress and level up your life.

This could be working on a side hustle, building new habits, or improving your fitness. For me, waking up way before my 9-5 to work on my business (publishing apps) is what I consider progressive work so I prioritize it first thing in my day.

And the key point I'm trying to make here is to balance both progressive work and maintenance work.

You can't focus on just progressive work, or you'll burn out.

At the same time, if you only focus on maintenance, you'll feel stuck.

Now to get on with how I find time to work on myself while having a full time job...

//Time Blocking

Finding time to work on yourself while having a full-time job starts with intentionality.

(I think intention is becoming my word of the year ha.)

Your 9-5 is a perfect example of time blocking. It is 8, 10, 12, and sometimes even 16 hours of work dedicated to something specific.

Now, the idea is just to apply the same principle for both progressive and maintenance work in my day.

The morning before the 9-5 is again when I block out time for progressive work because that's when my mind and energy is the best.

Later in the day, after the 9-5 when my energy naturally dips, that's when I have blocked out time for maintenance work like working out, playing Marvel Snap, or handling errands.

Sometimes, it's actually more progressive work that I do later in the day, but in a different category of my life that I want to level up such as my breaking (breakdancing).

At the end of the day, it's not about working nonstop.

It's about working on what truly matters, giving yourself permission to rest, and knowing when to switch gears.

There's again a reason why you feel bad when you're doing "nothing."

You're either not being intentional with your time, or it’s you telling yourself that you want more fulfillment out of life.

Be intentional, block out time, and balance your life in a way that works for you.

Hope that helps :)

– Renz