No Extra Time? Use It

“Fucking two things up at the same time isn’t multitasking” – Dick Masterson

Multitasking Is A Lie

Most people will tell you that multitasking is a lie. Gary Keller in The One Thing says, “Would you rather do ONE thing well or do numerous things poorly? If you are a multitasker, it’s a question that needs to be asked. The idea of multitasking as an acceptable way of getting multiple things done at once has become so mainstream that busy people have bought into it without considering its effect on results. Recent research has found that multitasking not only decreases the quality of work being done, it also slows us down.”

In most cases I would wholeheartedly agree. In fact, this topic deserves a blog post all it’s own. However, I strongly disagree with Gary when it comes to one subject: N.E.T. time.

N.E.T. Time

Unless you’ve just awoken in a cave, I will assume with fair certainty you’ve heard of Tony Robbins. He became infamous for his infomercials and self-help books: Unlimited Power, Unleash the Power Within and Awaken the Giant Within.

When I was 19 or so my mom bought me Tony’s 7 day CD program “Get the Edge”.

Yes, CD’s, remember? I listened to the whole program on a Discman and was probably rollerblading to boot. God bless the 90’s and god bless my mom!.

I have since probably listened to that program 30 or 40 times.

To say Tony Robbins was a mentor of mine would be a gross understatement. I have read every book and listened to every CD that man put out. It was also Tony’s Power Hour interviews that introduced me to other great teachers in my life. Visionaries like Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Barbara De Angelis, Steven Covey and countless others.

Thanks Tony!!

But after 100’s of hours of listening to CD’s there is still one nugget that sticks with me... Tony’s idea of N.E.T. Time.

Tony explains it like this:

“When was the last time you wanted to do something, but just never had the time?

You have more time than you think.

What you feed your mind on a daily basis creates your experience of life. However, far too many people believe that they “don’t have time” to give their minds the kind of information that can help them create real, concrete results and achieve their dreams. But by utilizing your N.E.T. time – that is, your No Extra Time time – you can make the most out of your day.

HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND…

-Commuting? In the U.S., we spend an average of 100 hours a year commuting to work — about 24.5 minutes one way.

-Running errands? The typical car owner is behind the wheel anywhere from 500 to 1,000 hours per year – the equivalent of two full semesters at a university.

-At the gym, walking or running, or working out?

-Cooking dinner, doing chores, or cleaning the house? As of 2005, men spent at least 13 hours each week on housework while women spent an average of 17 hours a week.

-Waiting for a bus or an appointment?

-Parked in front of the television? According to the Nielsen Company, the average American watches 4 hours and 35 minutes of TV each day. How much of that do you think is content designed to uplift and educate your mind?

All of this is to say… you have plenty of time to improve your life, if you use it correctly.

Want To Get To Know Someone Quickly? Take a Gander at What They Read, Watch and Listen To.

Having always been fascinated by what others are interested in reading, watching or listening to, chances are, if you have books out on your coffee table at your home or in your bookcase, I have perused your selections.

It’s easy to learn a lot about someone by what they choose to read. The same goes for movies or podcasts or music.

Caution: sometimes you will wish you didn’t know.

When it comes to podcasts, often times I will ask a friend to share their list of podcasts with me and I reciprocate. Typically I will find at least one item on their list that I hadn’t heard of and give it a try. Sometimes it’s a dud, most times it’s not. So since sharing is caring, I thought I would share…

My Personal Podcast List

What do I do with my N.E.T time? Typically you will find me listening to a variety of podcasts. Whether I am working out, cooking dinner, or driving around Charlotte, I almost always have a podcast playing in the background. News, travel, politics, Spanish tutoring, it’s all there. We will do a deeper review of these and why we like them, but for now, here is the list! Unedited and screenshot from my phone.