Time is like money; the less we have of it to spare, the further we make it go.

Scarcity makes you efficient in a way that abundance never does. A free afternoon dissolves and an hour between two commitments gets used properly, because the limit forces a decision about what matters. This is why busy stretches are sometimes more productive than open ones, and why a deadline does more for a project than another week would have.

If something has been drifting, do not give it more time. Give it less: a fixed hour with a hard stop, on a day that is already full. Then notice how much of what you thought you needed turned out to be optional.