--- description: Make sure tomorrow has one thing that will be amazing and that the day ends on a positive note title: 5 Secrets to Using Your Time Wisely image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfbaf644766fbbfc5/69876ffa5f570f1807b14549/colorful-clock.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Psychology](/tag/psychology/) ## Psychology Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 5 Secrets to Using Your Time Wisely by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 29, 2014 5:01 AM CUT  A blue and red alarm clock with bells, front view A blue and red alarm clock with bells, front viewGetty Images by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 29, 2014 5:01 AM CUT ## **1) Schedule things that make you happy** You often schedule things that are “important”, but what about the things that make you happy? Activities on your calendar are more likely to be the things you do. So be as good about scheduling the personal as the professional. From my [interview](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/02/happiness-aaker-meaning-interview/ "undefined") with Stanford happiness researcher Jennifer Aaker: --- > “” --- ## **2) Time** **_perception_** **is everything** Your conflicts with time often arise not from legitimate time constraints but how you perceive time. Ironically, research has shown a good way to feel less busy is to _give away_ some of your time. [Spending time on others makes us feel less time-constrained](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-giving-time-away-the-best-way-to-deal-with "undefined"): --- > “” --- Do you believe “time = money”? Congratulations, you’re making yourself miserable. People who saw time as money [had more difficulty enjoying leisure time](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/02/does-time-equal-money/ "undefined"): --- > “” --- [Nostalgia](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/02/happiness-aaker-meaning-interview/ "undefined") increases a feeling of meaning in life. ## **3) Optimize the time you have** Don’t worry so much about having more or less time. Think about the best time to do things. Tired? That’s a great time to schedule creative work. Via [Imagine: How Creativity Works](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1847677878/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1847677878&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20 "undefined"): --- > “” --- Are you a morning person? Or a night owl? Don’t fight it. Working when you’re at your best [affects performance](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/06/can-whether-youre-a-morning-type-or-a-night-o/ "undefined"): --- > “” --- [Here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/09/10-tips-on-the-best-time-to-accomplish-anythi/ "undefined") is a list of the best time to do many things. ## **4) You are how you spend your time** How you use your time shapes you. 10,000 hours of challenging yourself in a domain molds you into an expert. Via [Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591842948/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1591842948 "undefined"): --- > “” --- Too much time in front of a computer [hurts people skills](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/02/does-too-much-computer-time-degrade-social-sk/ "undefined"): --- > “” --- Your career success can be predicted by [how many hours you spent studying in college](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/01/can-how-many-hours-you-studied-in-college-tel/ "undefined"): --- > “” --- Are you spending your time to become the person you want to be? ## **5) Big Picture** Sir Ray Avery, entrepreneur and author of [Rebel With A Cause](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1459630386/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1459630386 "undefined"), says that making sure your life is on track is as easy as [counting your days](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/12/easiest-effective-plans-life/ "undefined"). --- > “” --- He’s 65\. So he’s “_got about 5,625 days to live._” Then he just works backward to plan. And thinking forward isn’t everything. We also look back. Your brain is not a perfect computer. What you will remember is not the same as what happened. But you can game it so your memories are _better_ than what happened. And happy memories are one of the secrets to feeling good about your life. Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Prize winner and author of [Thinking, Fast and Slow](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0374275637/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0374275637 "undefined"), has shown that your brain really remembers only two things about an event: 1. The emotional peak 2. The end So how can you game the system with this information and use it to be happier? **_Structure events so that the peak is great and the ending is great._** Make sure tomorrow has one thing that will be amazing and that the day ends on a positive note. Enough time looking forward and enough time looking back the right way leads to a meaningful life with many more great things ahead. **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/02/checklist-5-secrets-time-wisely/ "undefined")**_. Join over 145,000 readers and get a free weekly email update_** [**_here_**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD "undefined")**_._** Related posts: * [How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/ "undefined") * [What 10 things should you do every day to improve your life?](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/what-10-things-should-you-do-every-day-to-imp/ "undefined") * [How To Make Your Life Better By Sending Five Simple Emails](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/07/make-your-life-better/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3640958/use-time-wisely/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3640958/use-time-wisely/"},"headline":"5 Secrets to Using Your Time Wisely","datePublished":"2014-12-29T05:01:58.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T08:06:01.007Z","description":"Make sure tomorrow has one thing that will be amazing and that the day ends on a positive note","url":"https://time.com/3640958/use-time-wisely/","keywords":["Psychology","TIME"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfbaf644766fbbfc5/69876ffa5f570f1807b14549/colorful-clock.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eric Barker","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eric-barker/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfbaf644766fbbfc5/69876ffa5f570f1807b14549/colorful-clock.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"colorful-clock","caption":"colorful-clock","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/psychology/","name":"Psychology"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3640958/use-time-wisely/","name":"5 Secrets to Using Your Time Wisely"}}]}] ```