Your 168

1. Your 168: The Foundation of a Values-Based Life

No matter who you are, what you do for a living, where you live, or how productive you are, you only get 168 hours a week.

Time is our most precious resource. The concept of "Your 168" refers to the 168 hours we all have in a week. It's about allocating this finite time to reflect our values and priorities. This approach encourages us to be intentional about how we spend our time, ensuring that our actions align with what we consider most important in life.

The life grid tool:

• Career
• Family
• Faith/Spirituality
• Health/Sleep
• Fun/Recreation/Reading
• Making a Difference

By categorizing our time into these "life buckets," we can visually represent and track how we're spending our 168 hours. This tool helps identify areas where we might be out of balance and guides us in making adjustments to better reflect our values.

2. Self-Reflection: The Key to Minimizing Surprises

Without the self-awareness that comes from self-reflection, a relatively minor surprise or small problem compounds into a major upset.

Daily self-reflection is crucial. Dedicating 15 minutes each day to self-reflection can significantly reduce the likelihood of being blindsided by life's challenges. This practice involves asking yourself probing questions about your values, actions, and priorities.

Key self-reflection questions:

• What did I say I was going to do today?
• What did I actually do?
• What am I proud of?
• What am I not proud of?
• What would I do differently if I could live today over again?

Regular self-reflection increases self-awareness, helping you identify potential issues before they become major problems. It also allows you to course-correct and stay aligned with your values and goals.

3. Hitting the Wall: Recognizing and Responding to Life Imbalance

When surprises go unheeded, they don't just fade away.

Recognizing imbalance is crucial. "Hitting the wall" refers to the point where accumulated imbalances in life lead to a crisis. This often occurs when we ignore warning signs and continue with unsustainable habits or choices.

Steps to respond to life imbalance:

1. Acknowledge the problem
2. Take a time-out to reassess
3. Make significant changes (self-disrupt)
4. Experiment with new approaches
5. Mark a new beginning

Responding effectively to hitting the wall often requires a willingness to make substantial changes in your life. This might mean changing jobs, reassessing relationships, or adopting new habits that better align with your values and goals.

4. Building New Habits: The Path to Sustainable Change

Habits don't turn on and off with a switch.

Change takes time and effort. Building new habits is a gradual process that requires patience, persistence, and a realistic approach. Understanding the science behind habit formation can help set appropriate expectations and strategies for success.

Seven steps to building new habits:

1. Acknowledge it's harder than you think
2. Ensure you really want to do it
3. Choose what works best for you
4. Recognize it takes time and practice
5. Set incremental goals
6. Find accountability partners
7. Measure your progress

Remember that setbacks are normal in the habit-building process. The key is to stay committed to your goals and use self-reflection to keep yourself on track.

5. The Art of Being Planful and Spontaneous

Being planful is the only way I know to avoid going into freefall and losing all degrees of freedom every time your schedule changes.

Balance planning with flexibility. Being "planful" combines planning with mindfulness. It involves being aware of your commitments and priorities while remaining flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances and seize spontaneous opportunities.

Benefits of being planful:

• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Increases productivity
• Allows for better prioritization
• Creates space for spontaneity

By having a clear plan and understanding of your priorities, you're better equipped to handle unexpected changes and take advantage of spontaneous opportunities for fun or personal growth.

6. Life Balance in Real Time: Navigating Work and Personal Priorities

Life ebbs and flows; that's normal and natural.

Flexibility is key to balance. Achieving life balance is an ongoing process that requires constant adjustment. It's about making conscious choices that align with your values and priorities, even as circumstances change.

Strategies for maintaining balance:

• Regular self-reflection
• Setting clear boundaries
• Communicating openly about needs and priorities
• Being willing to say no
• Adjusting expectations as life circumstances change

Remember that perfect balance is rarely achievable all the time. The goal is to strive for overall balance over time, recognizing that some periods may require more focus on certain areas of life than others.

7. Strengthening Family, Friends, and Community Connections

For many of us, family is one of the most important life buckets—if not the most important.

Relationships are foundational. Strong connections with family, friends, and community provide support, meaning, and a sense of belonging. These relationships often form the core of a values-based life.

Ways to strengthen connections:

• Prioritize quality time with loved ones
• Maintain regular communication, even if brief
• Participate in community activities or groups
• Be present and engaged in interactions
• Show appreciation and gratitude

Remember that building and maintaining relationships requires intentional effort and time allocation within your 168 hours.

8. Health: The All-Purpose Bucket for Physical and Mental Well-being

Health is unique among all the life buckets because it affects every other aspect of your life.

Health is foundational to all areas of life. Prioritizing physical and mental health is crucial for maintaining balance and effectiveness in all other life buckets. This includes attention to exercise, nutrition, sleep, and stress management.

Key aspects of holistic health:

• Physical wellness
• Emotional health
• Mental capacity
• Spiritual well-being

Investing time and energy in your health pays dividends across all areas of life, improving energy levels, mental clarity, and overall well-being.

9. The Importance of Fun: Balancing Work and Play

Fun should be viewed as far more than a distraction or as something that's nice to do when you have time—which you may never have.

Fun is essential, not optional. Incorporating fun and leisure into your life is crucial for maintaining balance, reducing stress, and enhancing overall well-being. It's not just about enjoyment; fun activities can also boost creativity, productivity, and life satisfaction.

Types of fun to incorporate:

• Planned fun (e.g., vacations)
• Stress-releasing fun
• Rewarding fun
• Spontaneous fun
• Surprise fun
• Leveraged fun (combining fun with other priorities)
• Enriching fun (e.g., cultural activities)

Make fun a priority by scheduling it into your 168 hours, just as you would any other important commitment.

10. Faith and Spirituality: Finding Strength at Your Core

My faith is very important to me, to the point that I have a specific bucket to allocate time for prayer and spiritual practice each week.

Spiritual practice provides grounding. Whether through organized religion or personal spiritual practices, connecting with something larger than oneself can provide a sense of purpose, peace, and perspective.

Ways to explore spirituality:

• Meditation or prayer
• Attending religious services
• Spending time in nature
• Contemplating life's big questions
• Engaging in mindfulness practices

The key is to find practices that resonate with your personal beliefs and values, and to allocate time for them within your 168 hours.

11. Making a Difference: Creating a Lasting Legacy

If you want to live in a better world, you can't simply wait for someone else to step in and do the hard work.

Everyone can make an impact. Making a difference in the world, whether through small acts of kindness or larger philanthropic efforts, can provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment. It's about recognizing that each person has the power to contribute positively to their community and the world.

Ways to make a difference:

• Volunteer in your community
• Donate to causes you care about
• Mentor others
• Spread awareness about important issues
• Practice kindness in daily interactions

Remember that making a difference doesn't require grand gestures. Small, consistent actions can create a ripple effect of positive change.

Last updated: April 24, 2025