I Segment Time
Henry Kim ·
I like to break things down. I break down work processes, transitions between each stage, and then break them down further. As if searching for the fundamental elements of matter, until I reach indivisible units. Why? Because breaking things down reveals hidden problems. Problems we can't solve are, in fact, problems we don't yet understand. Once we understand them, we can certainly improve them.
A few months ago, I started treating time in the same way. It's not just about writing a to-do list. I break down tasks into the most specific 30-minute units possible and complete them within that timeframe. Instead of thinking, 'I need to finish this task today,' it's 'This for the next 30 minutes, that for the 30 minutes after.' It's not a vague day, but a day built by stacking 30-minute blocks.
There's a reason I started doing this. As the pace of work dramatically accelerated due to AI, I began to experience a strange sense of confusion. I was clearly accomplishing much more than before, but my sense of time felt off. This was because my metacognition was still calibrated to my past self. Even with upgraded tools in hand, the reference point in my mind still pointed to an old-fashioned speedometer.
Once I started segmenting time, that reference point reset. I consider 30 minutes to be the minimum unit required for me to execute a single task. Below that, it's still difficult to fully immerse myself. But honestly, this is also a provisional conclusion. If AI continues to evolve at its current pace, a 10-minute unit might someday become the standard.
Currently, my minimum unit of time is 30 minutes. What is your minimum unit of time right now?
Thoughts from skaia.ca/blog