Time Intent

The Goal of Budgeting with Time Intent

Time Intent is a tool that addresses the challenges of self-direction. It enables accountability of how one's time is used. The goal is to give users a tight feedback loop to record how their time was spent, analyze what worked, and decide to shoot for more, less, or the same in the future. It is too easy to watch time slip away and wonder where it went, letting time pass to stale patterns. If we put ourselves in a position where we have to constantly think about the future and the past to self-direct in every moment it is not possible to enjoy the moment. Time Intent can separate the potentially constant anxiety of responsibility from the moments of life that deserve undivided attention.

What makes this process different?

Many track time, keep a schedule, check a to-do list, or at an organizational level adopt a kanban board, or issue tracking system. We are not here to tell you those things are lesser or irrelevant. They are tools of productivity that are potentially great for business.

On a personal level, the greater business of life has more facets than productivity. People caught up in productivity are often challenged to give enough time to relationships they cherish, the hobbies they love, and the ambition that they have. Much like spending money that could have been better spent elsewhere, we often do the same with time. The fix for time wasted is the same, make a budget! Credit card statements and timesheets only say where the resources went. Budgets tell resources where to go.

All of these tools can play together. Knowing where someone came from is part of knowing where they can go. Listing tasks helps to remind people what to do. Deabute Time Intent is taking one more step to get to the bottom of dividing and balancing the time people want to spend. Time spent and shared is the true cost of autonomy for individuals, couples, families, and businesses.

Budgets get a bad rap

Generally, budgets are seen as a restriction, some sort of cruel dictator. Think about it, the person that says this, controls their money or time either way, with or without a budget. They are the dictator! It is really just a matter of whether the dictations come with a plan or on a whim.

People are in a better place when they have a moment to think about the big picture and how it fits together. As opposed to going solely by what they want right now. Budgets shift the decision-making from at the moment, to ahead of time. If the plan felt bad or was too hard to follow no worries, just adjust the budget and keep at it! Old habits die hard, slowly build new ones.

Budgets set in stone are unreasonable. Inflexibility leaves no room for growth. Using a feedback loop where changes can be quantified means it is possible to know what works and make adjustments in a measured way.

The Bottom Line

Time Intent is less a productivity tool and more an intentional life tool.

Choose how you will spend your next two weeks today. Time Intent