The Knowledge Worker

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Work is infinite, time is finite
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Work is infinite, time is finite

Find time by taking inventory of it.

Josh Duffney
Sep 18, 2021
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Share this post
Work is infinite, time is finite
theknowledgeworker.substack.com

Doing something well and doing something poorly both result in more work.

A job well done opens doors to new opportunities that require a higher level of performance. Poor work requires examining failure, making a second attempt, or correcting a course to focus on something else. In the end, the only difference between good work and poor work is the reward. Both add to the total sum of work to be done.

Time on the other hand remains unchanged. Regardless of who you are or where you live, everyone has the same twenty-four hours.

Work is infinite and time is finite. Work will expand to the amount of time given. And time doesn’t budge no matter what productivity hacks are employed.

You’ll never “finish” your work, so stop trying. Instead, simply find time to do your work then focus on doing it the best you can.

“Finishing your work” is a contradiction in terms so blatant and so dangerous that it can lead to nervous breakdowns because it puts the pressure on the wrong places in your mind and habits.” — Kenneth Atchity, A Writer’s Time

Action: Take inventory of your time

Take out a sheet of paper.

Write the column headers; Like, Benefit, Sum, Activity, Hours spent at the top.

Next, take 15-30 minutes to assess where your time is going and rate each activity on a scale of 1 to 5.

Ask yourself how much you enjoy that particular activity, and the benefit it brings you in your capacity to “buy time”.

Find ways to get rid of anything below a sum of 5.

Until next time,

Josh Duffney


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