Tori Uncensored

The Missing Piece – Why Time Management Came First

For years, I struggled with productivity. I had tried different task management approaches, but nothing fully stuck. At that point, I wasn’t actively using Getting Things Done (GTD)—I had explored it years earlier but hadn’t committed to it.

Then, about Seven years ago, I attended a Women in Leadership course at work. The instructor suggested watching a TED Talk, and when it finished, Laura Vanderkam’s talk on time management played next and it completely shifted my perspective.

I had never considered looking at time in terms of 168 hours rather than 24-hour days. As a newish parent, struggling with the guilt of balancing work and family, this idea changed everything for me.

✔ Instead of feeling like I was constantly running out of time, I realised I had more time than I thought it just depended on how I used it.

✔ Instead of saying “I don’t have time,” I started saying “I choose what to do with my time.”

Intrigued, I bought the book and audiobook, eager to dive deeper into the concept. I started talking to colleagues about it, reshaping the way I thought and spoke about time entirely.

And then something unexpected happened rethinking time made me revisit GTD.

How 168 Hours Led Me Back to GTD

Understanding 168 hours in a week forced me to confront how I was managing my tasks within that time. I had already learned how to restructure my hours, but I needed a system to handle what I was actually doing within those hours.

During this time, I started listening to the GTD audiobook again on my commutes to and from my head office. Hearing the framework explained again helped me recognise which elements I could tailor to fit my workflow, rather than trying to follow the system rigidly.

✔ 168 Hours gave me clarity on my time.

✔ GTD gave me structure for my tasks within that time.

✔ Together, they became the foundation for how I work today.

How GTD & 168 Hours Work Together

While 168 Hours helped me shift my mindset, GTD gave me the structure to implement that mindset effectively.

✔ GTD focuses on tasks capturing and organising everything you need to do.

✔ 168 Hours focuses on time how you actually spend those tasks across the week.

Once I applied both together, I finally felt in control not just of my productivity, but of my time itself.

Leading Into 168 Hours – Understanding Time Mastery

Mastering productivity isn’t just about managing tasks it’s about reshaping time itself.

✔ What does time actually look like in a week?

✔ How do we reallocate our hours toward what matters most?

✔ How does reframing 168 hours change the way we work, rest, and live?

💬 Have you ever thought about time in terms of 168 hours instead of 24-hour days? How has that perspective shaped your approach to productivity and priorities? Drop your thoughts in the comments I’d love to hear your experience!