I’ve been following Laura Vanderkam through her blogs and books since 2019. I was excited to pick up her latest book Big Time and intrigued by the subtitle of “A Simple Path to Time Abundance”.
Like many people, I think a lot about time… how quickly it moves, how full life can feel, and whether we really have enough of it for the things that matter most. This book offered both a mindset shift and practical ideas for thinking about time differently.
What Stood Out
The core message of the book is that while life feels busy and full, we can shift our perspective from time scarcity to time abundance.
“We can hold two thoughts in mind: that time is finite and precious; but also, that in the way we experience life, time is quite vast.” – Laura Vanderkam
Several ideas stood out to me.
Little Moments = Big Accomplishments
This is a concept I’ve implemented in my own life and believe others could really benefit from. Summarized in a chapter titled “Dream Big, Plan Small,” Laura suggests that we can meet big goals if we break them down into small steps.
Little movement done regularly over time can make a big difference. This ties to another chapter in the book that suggests we think in 8,760 hours (a year), not 24 hours (a day).
The idea of a little time adding up to a big accomplishment reminded me of how I wrote One Shade Greener at Home: A Room by Room Guide to Reduce Toxins, Lighten Your Environmental Footprint, and Live Simpler. Frankly, it reminded me of the whole philosophy of One Shade Greener and the 15-minute-a-day clearing project I took on a few years ago.
Stop Wishing AND Wasting Time Away
Two chapters connected for me in a new way. We both wish and waste time away.
When we are doing something we don’t want to be doing (like workdays for some), we wish the time would disappear or move faster.
On the flip side, when we don’t have something specific to do, we can end up wasting time away scrolling social media or doing something else that doesn’t add joy to our life.
In particular, the time in our evenings can get eaten away because we are too tired from the work time we were trying to wish away. Laura has renamed evening time “The Golden Hours” and provides ideas on how to best design yours.
“If you wait until you get home from work at 6:30 p.m. to decide what you want to do in the evening, the answer is going to be ‘nothing’. You won’t have the energy to make a plan.”
Be Open to Serendipity
When our lives are so full of clutter, we are too busy to notice or set the conditions for serendipity to occur. Her premise in the chapter is:
“I believe that there are few ways to organize our time so that happy serendipity is more likely to pay a visit.” – Laura Vanderkam
We need open space to let these moments flow in. Times when we can explore and be open to possibilities. She provides concrete ideas of where and how to get more of this into our schedules.
I was reminded of a post I wrote a few years ago titled The Beauty of Chance. The chapter in the book made me want to circle back to intentionally finding space for “happy accidents”
My Perspective
This book reminded me of the importance of finding space in our lives.
While we all go through busy phases based on life stage, time of year, and events on a given day, we do have more time than we think. The book highlights that the key is our mindset… moving from time scarcity to time abundance.
I’ve read several of Laura’s books including 168 Hours, Juliet’s School of Possibilities, and Off the Clock. With each one, she has given me different perspectives on time to consider. She also inspired me to start tracking my own time to make observations of what I might want to change. After nearly 6 years, I continue to find new ways of looking at and adjusting my focus.
This book one unlocked a couple new things for me:
A refocus on serendipity and ensuring my schedule has space for it.
And a different perspective on “dreaming big”.
Ensuring the dream I have is one that I want to go on the journey of, not just have the accomplishment at the end.
Who Should Read It
I would recommend this book to anyone who feels their life has no time to do the things they want to do.
This book provides tangible ideas on how to shift your mindset from one of scarcity to one of abundance. It’s especially valuable for people who feel overwhelmed, overcommitted, or stuck in the cycle of rushing through their days without intentionally designing how they want to spend their time.
Your Turn
Where in your life are you wishing (and wasting) time away?
What small, consistent actions could lead to a big accomplishment over time?
How could you create more space for serendipity in your schedule?