#66: Time Freedom is a Skill

May 26, 2026

The Skill of ‘Time Freedom’

One of the biggest challenges I see people face trying to redesign life is not having enough time, space, or mental clarity to even begin.

People are exhausted, overcommitted, and constantly overriding that internal voice telling them something is wrong and that comes at a cost (note: Check out Podcast ep. 163: The Cost of Constant Override).

When life becomes just obligation, reaction, and maintenance, you lose ability to hear yourself clearly enough to build the life you actually want.

That’s why I believe time freedom is one of the foundational skills behind every meaningful life change. Not because it means sitting on a beach doing nothing, but because it gives you enough mental and physical space to think, create, build, breathe, connect, become intentional again.

Over the years I learned the skill of controlling time to beat the system. And by “beat the system,” I simply mean I became adept at 'time ownership' and used it to become what I was intended to become: Authentic me.

Here’s how I think about it.

A Try Life On principle. When it comes to time, learn to:

Protect it.
Create it.

1 - Protect Time

Leverage Pareto’s principle vs. defaulting to Parkinson’s law. Pareto’s principle says to do the 20% of things that give you 80% of the result. Parkinson's law says things expand to the time available.

The wasting of time seen in my 25 years as a corporate executive and 22 years as a military officer was epic. Even in my entrepreneurial space, it’s prevalent. Here’s some examples:

The 1- hour long meeting to complete a 5 min task
The arbitrary 8-hour day for outcomes achievable in one
The 'just because' networking event because peers are going

We tend to fill our day with time wasters simply because “space” exists to allow it. That’s Parkinson’s law in full effect. Then we’ll say we don’t have time for our own goals. Learn to spot time wasters and veer away.

In my corporate and entrepreneurial spaces, to the extent possible, I ignored non-impactful meetings, training classes, phone calls, travel, etc. I don’t go to conferences or happy hours just to go, for example.

From 1997 (career start) to 2013, promoted 4x
From 2013, stopped accepting promotions (not pay raises)
Retired 2021 with time, financial and geographic freedom

Here's how and why.

Making $200K at 40 hours. Next promotion $250K, but now 70-90 hours + scrutiny from leadership. The time tradeoff wasn’t worth it (unless the position is a goal or passion), assuming you leverage the time. Titles & money don’t always add up. Here’s an alternative thought.

Protect + leverage time freedom to build your lifestyle.

I used my 'protected' 30-50 hours and salary for financial education, bought 2000+ units of real estate, acted on TV shows and movies, became a police officer, built an investment firm, developed Mediterranean property, traveled to 100 countries for life experiences in my 30s and 40s. I did not wait until my 60s, a mistake I see a lot of people make. I’ve made so many friendships along the way instead of spending more time in an office.

Protected time used to build lifestyle > extra $50K.

Pareto’s Principle (the 80/20 rule) became a huge focus. I prioritized the 20% of activities giving 80% of the result (versus 80% busy work giving a 20% result), ignored the rest, and used the protected time for impactful work, life & entrepreneurial ventures. You can too.

2 - Create Time

The notion we have no time is more we lack commitment to self. If you think otherwise, you may be fooling yourself. You find 8-10 hours a day for your employer, right? What about your own life goals? How to create a 14-month year:

4-8am each weekday = 20 hours a week
That’s 80 hours a month = 960 hours a year
That’s 5.71 weeks created = 1.5 months

Add a Saturday and Sunday 4-hour block…

That’s 112 hours a month, 1344 hours a year
You created close to 2 full months of time
For your own dreams and lifestyle

Whether it's 4-8 am, 7-11 pm, or 2 hours at lunch and 2 hours in the car, be intentional. Too tired? Kill Netflix or beer the night before and go to bed. Since age 25, the 4am hour has generally been my time to build.

You don’t have to get up at 4 am. Don’t use that as an excuse. Create time for self during some other parts of the day. Set priorities. It’s a choice, make it, or someone will choose priorities for you.

I was able to create several $M businesses this way and designed life while working as a full time executive, a policeman and military officer. I still do this after 30 years because dreams evolve.

Now-a-days I intentionally use my “protected time” to inhabit the life I’ve created. This is a whole other story I’ll write about at some point.

A Final Thought

Lots of challenges to building the skill that is Time Freedom, including work demands, financial constraints, and personal discipline. The one I see most is deference to societal expectations and cultural norms.

The strong emphasis on, for example, climbing the corporate ladder derails people as they chase versions of success they never intended, ultimately wasting time. You could use that time to build the true dream business, lifestyle, or family you always wanted.

Be aware of the challenges, recognize them, and make changes. Most importantly, set boundaries and do not allow override (Podcast ep. 163: The Cost of Constant Override). In the end, your life is your own. Time Freedom is a skill you can develop to build it and Try Life On more.

Hope this helps you.