Sep 16 / Natalie Savery

Time After Time

Why we never seem to have enough — and what might help

and image of an open book , glasses and a cup of coffee
In almost every workshop I deliver, every coaching conversation I have and almost every conversation with friends, family or clients, the same thing comes up eventually:

“I just don’t have enough time.” 

And it is easy to see why. Diaries are full. There is always another meeting, another deadline, another message to answer. Then there is the life outside work: the admin, the house, the children, family, appointments and the inevitable unexpected emergency. Before we know it, the day has gone — and the things we meant to do are still waiting.

It is no wonder so many of us feel as though we are constantly trying to catch up. There are only so many hours in the day, and many of us are carrying more than is reasonable. And, despite what TikTok might say, I don’t believe that the answer is to tell people to wake up earlier, optimise every minute or somehow become more disciplined.

But I do think it is worth pausing to ask: what are we doing with the time we do have — and does it reflect what matters most?

A Squash and a Squeeze

I often think about Julia Donaldson’s book A Squash and a Squeeze.

In the story, the main character feels her house is far too small. She asks for help, but the solution she is given is not to get a bigger house. Instead, she is told to bring in her animals: first the hen, then the goat, the pig and finally the cow. The house becomes increasingly chaotic and cramped. When she lets the animals out again, her house suddenly feels enormous.

Nothing about the house has changed. But her experience of it has.

Time can feel a little like that.

There have been periods in my life when I thought I had no time at all: before children, and before running my own business. At the time, I thought I couldn’t be any busier. Looking back, I had far more control and space than I realised.

That is not to dismiss the very real pressures we all face. It is simply a reminder that our sense of time is not always fixed. It is shaped by what is in it, what we are carrying, what feels urgent and what has our attention.

Many people are facing increasing pressure to do more, be more, have more. 

Many of us are working in organisations facing budget cuts, vacancies and increasing demand We are often being asked to do more with less. Outside work, there are family responsibilities, and the endless ‘life admin’ to attend to. Appointments, clubs, fixing this and that, checking in with friends and family - it all adds up. 

And then there is the wider culture we are living in: an expectation that everything should be done quickly, perfectly and without visible struggle. 

We are surrounded by messages about joining the 5am club, optimising our sleep, building a side hustle, keeping on top of self-care, achieving inbox zero and finding ever-more efficient ways to work. We are encouraged to declutter our homes, fill family schedules with enriching activities and, somehow, still be “living our best life”.

There is nothing wrong with any of these things in themselves. They are all meant to help us feel better. But taken together, they can create the sense that we should be able to do it all, have it all and be brilliant - every day. 

Making time for what matters

Even though I recognise all of this, I get sucked into the culture sometimes too. I feel the pressure of running a business and managing a team, alongside trying to have a family life. My days are often full, I work more hours than I’d like and I have a diary that no one can interpret except for me! 

But, when a team member is struggling, a family emergency happens or a tender needs writing, I somehow find the time.

I suspect you do too.

That does not mean everything we say we do not have time for is unimportant. Often, it means it has not yet become urgent enough to displace something else. Or that we have not fully decided how important it is.

This is where effectiveness comes in. Before we try to fit more in, we need to get clearer on what deserves space.

What would make the biggest difference to you, your work or the people around you if you gave it proper attention this week?

Sometimes the answer is a strategic task. Sometimes it is preparing well for an important conversation. Sometimes it is dealing with something you have been avoiding. And sometimes it is rest, because we cannot keep expecting good thinking from an exhausted brain.

Small shifts, not another impossible plan

When we are overwhelmed, “take time to plan your time” can feel like one more thing on the list. So start smaller.

I use time-blocking in my calendar. If something matters but does not have an external deadline — writing this blog, for example — it is very easy for it to be pushed aside. Blocking time in my diary does not guarantee it will happen, but it gives it a fighting chance.

It is also worth noticing where time quietly disappears. This is not about blaming ourselves; we all need moments to zone out. But there is a difference between a purposeful break and spending 25 minutes scrolling through LinkedIn without really taking anything in.

For me, another big one is perfectionism. Spending an extra hour making something slightly better is not always the best use of time, particularly when it is already great enough to do the job.

And then there is energy. We do not have the same cognitive capacity all day. I know not to read a complex tender at 2pm, because that is my less focused (aka ‘dozy’) time. I will take twice as long and retain half as much. Where I can, I try to use my sharper hours for thinking and writing, and save simpler tasks for later.

A few things to try

  • Identify one thing this week that will make the greatest difference, then protect a small block of time for it. 
  • Before saying yes to something, ask: “What will this take time away from?” 
  • Notice one activity that is draining time without adding much value. Could you shorten it, stop it or do it less often? 
  • Work with your energy where you can. Do your most demanding thinking when you are at your best, not simply when there is a gap in the diary. 
  • Aim for progress, not perfection. Ask: “What is ‘great enough’ for this purpose?” or “What is the minimum I can do to achieve the outcome I need?”
We cannot create more hours. But we can become more deliberate about how we use our time, energy and attention.

And perhaps, occasionally, we can let a few of those metaphorical farm animals back out of the house.

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