Act from that identity immediately

Dall-E

 From Oliver Burkeman's Newsletter

For a solid decade, I worked in a newspaper environment where I was never more than about three days, and often just a few hours, away from a deadline. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything – but one of its many benefits was that it taught me there’s something psychologically unhealthy about short deadlines, at least for people like me. That’s because it was far too easy to tell myself that it was after the next deadline that I’d finally take a deep breath, take charge of my career, make proper time for my friendships, generally sort my life out, and stop mentally living a few days in the future.

Some people postpone “real life” to distant points in the future, subconsciously telling themselves it’s when they graduate, or get married, or switch jobs, or retire, that the truly meaningful part of life will begin. (I’ve sometimes been guilty of that, too.) But the short-horizon version of this tendency is in some ways more seductive, and thus more dangerous, because the future moment in question is due to arrive so imminently you can almost reach out and touch it. It’s not “in 30 years, when I retire.” It’s the day after tomorrow, just as soon as I’ve got this article out of the way…

It was my growing disillusionment with this outlook that led me, eventually, to what now feels like a baseline principle for living a calm, meaningfully productive and enjoyable life, which is that in the end, striving toward sanity never works. You have to operate from sanity instead.

I’m using “sanity” here to refer broadly to what it feels like to live the kind of life you want to be living, which for me, anyway, means calm, focused, meaningful, connected to others, and so on, as opposed to anxious, overwhelmed, isolated and distracted: all the usual stuff. 

Operating from sanity, by contrast, means embodying a certain orientation toward life now, first, then doing stuff – rather than doing the stuff in an effort to attain the orientation. The crucial point is that it has to be now, not next year, and not even in a few hours’ time. In his book Anti-Time Management, Richie Norton breaks it into two steps: “1. Decide who you want to be. 2. Act from that identity immediately.” That’s correct, I think, but perhaps risks making it sound as if what’s required is a total personality transformation. So it’s time for some down-to-earth examples:

If you’ve accumulated an unpleasant email backlog (like me, recently!) then striving toward sanity means setting aside five whole days to do nothing but plough through the messages – which won’t work, partly because you won’t be able to maintain the motivation, and also because other messages and tasks will accumulate in the meantime, leaving you as backlogged as before. Operating from sanity means sequestering all those emails in a separate folder – hey presto, your inbox is empty! – then endeavoring to stay current on new incoming emails, so as to prevent another backlog developing. Meanwhile, chip away at the backlog a little each day or, if your situation allows, just delete it entirely.

I asked ChatGPT to summarize Norton's book, then asked for specific tips he provides.  ChatGPT said:

here are some of the time management strategies that Richie Norton talks about in "Anti-Time Management":

1. Prioritize alignment with your values and purpose: Rather than simply focusing on completing tasks or checking items off a to-do list, Norton encourages readers to start by identifying their values and purpose. This allows you to align your daily activities with what's truly important to you and gives you a greater sense of fulfillment and purpose.

2. Use energy management instead of time management: Norton suggests that managing your energy levels is more important than managing your time. This means taking regular breaks, getting enough sleep and exercise, and doing activities that energize you. By managing your energy, you can be more productive and efficient during the time that you do have.

3. Focus on outcomes, not output: Instead of measuring your productivity based on how many tasks you've completed, Norton suggests focusing on the outcomes you want to achieve. This means setting goals that align with your values and purpose, and working towards achieving those goals, even if it means taking longer to complete individual tasks.

4. Practice mindfulness and gratitude: To avoid getting caught up in the stress and overwhelm of daily life, Norton suggests practicing mindfulness and gratitude. This can involve taking a few minutes each day to meditate, reflect on what you're grateful for, or simply take a break and breathe deeply.

5. Embrace flexibility and spontaneity: Norton encourages readers to be open to unexpected opportunities and to allow for flexibility in their schedules. This means being willing to change your plans if something more important or exciting comes up, and not being too rigid in your daily routine.

 Chat said that the third part of his book gives practical tips... so I followed up:

here are some examples of the practical tips and exercises that Richie Norton provides in the third part of "Anti-Time Management":

1. Create a "Values Statement": This exercise involves creating a statement that outlines your core values and beliefs. This can help you make decisions and prioritize your time based on what's truly important to you.

2. Identify your "Why": This exercise involves digging deep to understand your purpose and motivation. By identifying your "why," you can better align your actions with your values and goals.

3. Use a "Reverse To-Do List": This is a technique where instead of listing out all the tasks you need to do, you list out the outcomes you want to achieve. This helps you focus on the bigger picture and can make it easier to prioritize your time.

4. Practice "Time Blocking": This technique involves blocking off specific chunks of time for different activities. For example, you might block off two hours in the morning for focused work, followed by a 30-minute break, then another block of time for meetings or calls. This can help you stay focused and avoid multitasking.

5. Set "Boundaries": This exercise involves setting clear boundaries around your time and energy. For example, you might decide not to check email after a certain time in the evening, or you might delegate certain tasks to others to free up your own time.

6. Create a "Gratitude Practice": This exercise involves taking a few minutes each day to reflect on what you're grateful for. This can help you stay positive and motivated, even during challenging times.