How to Be Awesome at Your Job 1150: How to Reclaim Your Schedule and Own Your Time with Laura Vanderkam
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May 7, 2026 
Laura Vanderkam, bestselling time-management author who studies how people find time, shares how to reclaim your schedule. She discusses a time-abundance mindset, tiny 15-minute shifts that reshape the workday, smart time-tracking to spot opportunities, and structuring intentional breaks and golden hours to make time feel richer.
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Repurpose Work Time Toward Enjoyable Tasks
- Spend a small, deliberate amount of existing work time on tasks you enjoy to boost overall job satisfaction.
- Laura had hundreds try adding one hour a week of favorite work, 15 minutes deepening a work friendship, and two short planned breaks, which raised satisfaction significantly.
Take Two Intentional Short Breaks Daily
- Schedule two intentional short breaks daily and decide ahead what you'll do during them to restore energy.
- People tested 10-minute breaks like stepping outside, reading, or watching a saved funny clip and found their mood and energy rose noticeably.
Tracking Uncovers Hidden Discretionary Time
- Time tracking reveals many catastrophic time stories are false and exposes actual discretionary windows.
- Laura tracks via a simple spreadsheet or Toggl and checks in 3–4 times daily; one week of tracking changes perceptions.
