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Ever catch yourself saying “I don’t have enough time” at least once a day? Yep, me too! That’s exactly why I picked up Laura Vanderkam’s book “168 Hours” – and amiga, it completely changed how I think about my schedule and what’s possible in a week! 🕰️

I often get compliments on how I juggle work, volunteering, exercise, and still carve out “me time.” But deep down? I knew I could be doing better with the hours I have. If you’ve ever felt the same way, this book might just be the game-changer you need.

Why This Book Hit Different

The book opens with a story that honestly made me feel both inspired and slightly attacked (in the best way possible!). It’s about a super mom who not only has SIX kids but is also the founder and CEO of a seven-figure company in New York—all while getting eight hours of sleep every night!

I remember thinking, “Wait…if she can do all that, why do I feel overwhelmed with my much shorter to-do list?”

Then there’s the Google engineer working 50+ hours weekly while also:

• Teaching at NYU
• Training for triathlons
• Maintaining a relationship
• Coaching other athletes
• Running errands
• Still watching seven hours of TV!

These stories immediately challenged my excuses about “not having enough time.” The reality? We all have the same 168 hours every week—it’s just about how we choose to use them.

The Weekly Mindset Shift That Changes Everything

Here’s the simple but powerful shift: stop thinking about your time in 24-hour blocks and start thinking in terms of 168-hour weeks.

This completely reframes everything! Something might not fit into your Tuesday, but when you zoom out to see your whole week, suddenly there’s space for all your priorities.

Laura suggests logging everything you do for a full week to discover where your time actually goes. I’ll be honest—I was nervous to try this. What if I discovered I was wasting tons of time? (Spoiler alert: I was! 😅)

My “Aha” Moment: I thought I was working 60+ hours weekly, but my log showed it was closer to 45. The missing hours? Mostly spent scrolling social media and binge-watching K-dramas. No es malo sometimes, but not how I wanted to spend 15+ hours of my precious week!

Finding Your “Stale Time” and Reclaiming It

Once you track your week, look for what Laura calls “stale time”—those moments that don’t bring you joy, progress, or rest. For me, this was:

• Mindless scrolling before bed (7+ hours weekly!)
• Watching shows I didn’t even really care about
• Getting caught in the “I’ll just quickly check email” trap that turned into 30-minute sessions

The question then becomes: What could you do with those reclaimed hours?

This is where Laura’s “100 Dreams” exercise comes in. She suggests making a list of 100 things you want to do or accomplish in life—big or small.

I’ve only made it to about 30 items on my list so far (still working on it!), but even that gave me plenty of ideas for filling my newly found free time with things that actually matter to me. Things like learning embroidery, calling my abuela more often, and finally starting that side project I’ve been putting off.

Simple Strategies You Can Implement This Week

Here are my favorite practical takeaways that you can start using immediately:

1. Create a weekly template

I now have a high-level routine for my week that includes protected blocks for:

• Core work hours (focused on my strengths)
• Exercise (minimum 22 minutes daily—just 2.5 hours weekly!)
• Family time
• Personal projects
• Rest and reflection

Having this template makes daily decisions so much easier. Instead of constantly asking “What should I do now?” I know what typically happens on Tuesday afternoons.

2. Focus on your core competencies

This reminder hit home: Don’t spend hours doing something you’re not good at when you could:

• Delegate it to someone who’s better at it
• Find a technological solution
• Simply eliminate it if it’s not essential

I realized I was spending 3+ hours weekly struggling with graphic design tasks that someone else could do in 45 minutes. No más!

3. Make exercise non-negotiable

Laura emphasizes that just 2.5 hours of exercise weekly (about 22 minutes daily) dramatically improves your quality of life and energy levels.

When I thought about it this way—that’s less time than one episode of my favorite show—it became so much easier to commit to. Now I think, “I absolutely have 22 minutes for something this important.”

My Simple 3-Step Implementation Plan

Here’s exactly how I put this book into practice:

1. Track a week: I used a simple spreadsheet with half-hour blocks to log everything
2. Create my template: Based on what I learned, I designed my ideal week
3. Make a checklist: I now have daily checklists that align with my bigger goals

The best part? This takes the mental load off deciding what to do each day. My checklist already has the important stuff built in!

You Really Do Have Time for What Matters

The most powerful message from this book is so simple: “There is time for anything that matters.” Not everything—but anything. You just have to be intentional about it.

If something is important to you but “you don’t have time for it,” the truth might be that you haven’t made it a priority. That realization was both challenging and freeing for me.

No tiene que ser complicado, amiga. Sometimes just changing how we view our time opens up possibilities we never imagined. ✨

¡Hasta pronto!

Gaby

P.S. Want another game-changing read about getting things done? Check out my blog post on The Checklist Manifesto—it pairs perfectly with the strategies in 168 Hours!

Your Turn!

Quick challenge: Try tracking just ONE day this week (yes, even a busy one!) to see where your time actually goes. Then come back and share one surprise you discovered in the comments below! I’ll share mine too.