Buzz
I'll admit, I'm passionate about optimizing my life. Over the past decade, I've become a pro at David Allen's *Getting Things Done* productivity method. From email batching and meal planning to habit stacking, these strategies are now fundamental parts of my daily routine.
But the point of optimizing my life isn't to squeeze in more work—it's to carve out more time for relaxation and rejuvenation.
Sure, when I first started as a freelancer, I dedicated time to mastering the efficiency of pitching, writing, and handling the admin work that comes with a typical day. And yes, I used some of that saved time to write more articles and pick up new clients.
At a certain point, the most valuable way to spend my free time became focusing on myself and the people I care about.
And when I dedicate time to myself, it often appears as if I’m doing nothing at all.
Sometimes it genuinely seems like I’m just gazing out the window, or watching the flame of the candle I light as part of my work shutdown ritual (a powerful way to transform my studio apartment from a workspace to a home).
I like to call this brand of doing ‘nothing’ ‘meditating’ when I need a way to explain it to others, but really, I’m not trying to calm or control my thoughts. I’m simply listening to them. Essentially, I’m sitting quietly, letting my mind wander wherever it wants, and enjoying the company of my own thoughts.
This made me really connect with this recent tweet from author Rainesford Stauffer:
It also reminded me of a quote from one of my favorite childhood books: Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey’s *Cheaper by the Dozen*, which tells the true story of 12 children raised by an efficiency expert:
Someone once asked Dad, “But why save time? What are you going to do with it?”
“For work, if that’s what you love,” Dad replied. “For education, for beauty, for art, for joy.” He looked over his pince-nez. “For mumblety-peg, if that’s where your heart lies.”
So here’s the thing: Sure, it’s practical to cook a large batch of food and freeze it in portions if you’d rather not spend your evenings cooking. But you don’t have to use the time you save to become super-productive at *something else*. You can use it to stare at a candle, have a conversation with a family member, or even scroll through your social media feed—if that’s what you genuinely want to do.
Because the real purpose of lifehacking is *more life*, not more lifehacking.
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