CA072: How to free up your time and energy with Rob Cubbon

I just don’t have the time

If you find yourself complaining you don’t have time to do what want because you’re too busy, here’s 12 suggestions of how to free up your time and energy. They come from our guest on episode 72 of the Changeability Podcast, Rob Cubbon, who shares interesting insights into the drains on our time and energy that sap us of the will to achieve what we want in life.

If you recognise the name it’s because we talked with best-selling author Rob Cubbon in episode 58 about his book: ‘Free your thoughts: How I re-programmed myself for happiness and how you can too.’ We realised there was one aspect of the book that deserved wider coverage, so invited Rob back to discuss his advice on how to free up your time and energy.

The rationale

If you spend your time involved in negativity, you’re not using that energy and time for more positive pursuits.

Look at your habits, would you have more time and energy if you did without them.

What are these activities and habits we’d be better off without?

How to free up your time and energy

1. Don’t watch the news – The news has the potential to affect your beliefs and colour your views. It can make you feel stressed and doesn’t on the whole galvanise you into action.
2. Don’t buy or read newspapers and avoid the websites of newspaper or media companies – Newspapers and media companies perpetuate myths and prejudices, especially about other countries and religions. Furthermore, we tend to buy those that reflect our existing views of the world around us.
3. Don’t watch TV – It’s a potentially huge drain on your time. Be aware of the, time you spend in front of the TV rather than just switching it on for the sake of it, or having it on in the background. If you particularly enjoy watching television, try being more conscious of the programmes you watch. Another strategy is to use a favourite programme as a reward when you have finished an activity. We live in an age where you can watch programmes when you want, so be selective in your viewing.
4. Don’t compare yourself to others - All comparisons between yourself and others, in terms of success or indeed other criteria, is futile and a waste of time. You are not that other person; you are your own individual self. Your ultimate success is dependent on you and your endeavours, so compare yourself only to yourself and measure your own improvement over time.
5. Ditch your friends – Well don’t ditch them all, but consider seeing less of those who are a negative influence on your life, sap your energy or hold you back. Travel can broaden your experience of others as can being part of a mastermind group, which brings you into contact with those who enrich rather than rob you of energy.
6. Don’t blame anyone or anything – Blame is rarely going to do you good, it’s a negative emotion whether blaming yourself or someone else. You can benefit from finding out what went wrong and why in a situation, so it won’t happen again, but blame itself serves little or no purpose.
7. Don’t worry or anticipate that more bad things are going to happen – Accept that things will happen to you but don’t focus on them. Because your focus will be on fear, and the anticipation of pain or worrying will stop you doing the things you want to in life. And so often the pain is never as you anticipate, so in this sense it’s an exercise in futility.
8. Ape the characteristics of those who are happy and successful – If you see yourself being petty and judgemental, imagine the persona of who you are trying to become. Ask yourself if the trait you’re exhibiting at this present moment is conducive with that persona. If not, look to and mimic those that do exhibit the traits you see as admirable.
9. Don’t complain – Complaining increases the stress on you and doesn’t free up your time or energy. It is sapping. Find a more positive language to describe what’s going on, rather than complaining. This in turn helps lift your thinking on a subject. Talk in terms of a solution rather than a problem.
10. Don’t identify with abstract concepts – Avoid identifying yourself by concepts such as your religion, politics, or affinity with certain groups (like a football team). You are aligning yourself with something, which is not you and can ultimately be a cause of unhappiness. By aligning yourself with one group, you are in effect misaligning yourself from another group.
11. Stop beating yourself up – Do what you can and stop beating yourself up about what you haven’t or should have done.
12. Don’t take Rob’s advice – Rob’s final words offer an interesting perspective. His tenets sound prescriptive but ultimately are just suggestions to save your time and energy.

A final thought

We’re not saying you have to do any or all of the above, but suggest that these are potential drains to our time and energy. Of course ultimately it’s for each of us to decide what we want to do with our lives.

But maybe, when you catch yourself complaining about not having the time or energy to do something you’d like to, this list will serve as a reminder of where to look first to free your greatest assets - time and energy.

Episode 72 of The Changeability Podcast

Hear Rob and us discuss how to free up your time and energy on this week’s episode of the Changeability Podcast, as Rob joins us from a shared working space somewhere in the world.

If you’d like to find out more about Rob and what he’s done to change his life and work, you’ll find him at www.RobCubbon.com 

Resources mentioned on the show

• Gretchen Reuben – The Happiness Project
• Rob’s book - Free your thoughts: How I re-programmed myself for happiness and how you can too.

What’s next?

Which of the suggestions do you agree with? Which don’t you agree with? How do you free up your time and energy? Do you practice any of these suggestions yourself and why? Let us know in the comments below.