You’re not finding time—start making precious time instead

Time isn’t something you stumble upon—it’s something you carve out. You’ve probably sat in frantic traffic, burdened by your day job, wishing you had the hours to pursue your passion. But here’s the truth: you already do, buried in the pauses of your life. You listen to podcasts for 20 minutes every morning; that adds up to over two hours per week. That after-dinner Netflix habit? There’s three and a half hours of opportunity there too.

When you log every minute of your last week—meetings, errands, social media, laundry—you see where time vanishes. That’s eye-opening on its own. But the radical shift happens when you deliberately schedule your “Five to Strive.” Whether that’s an hour five days a week or two 2½-hour nights, these are booking slots for your dream.

Treat these hours like your car’s oil change or your dentist appointment—nonnegotiable. If a friend asks for dinner during your goal time, you’ll text, “I have a prior commitment, can we meet afterward?” This self-respect sends a signal to your subconscious and to the world: your future matters.

Research in time management shows that deliberate scheduling of high-priority tasks increases goal attainment by up to 50 percent. It’s not just wishful thinking; it’s neuroscience: your brain will align resources around what you protect. “Five to Strive” means you don’t wait for free time—you make it.

Pick five hours every week—your “Five to Strive”—that you guard fiercely for your one big goal. Log every day’s minutes so you can spot time leaks and reclaim them. Then enter those hours in your calendar as sacred appointments you won’t override. Because when you stop waiting for ‘free’ time and start commanding it, you flip from dreaming to doing—every single week.