If I could gift myself anything this holiday season, it would be time.
I’ve tried everything to make more of it: time-blocking, bullet journaling, the Pomodoro method, the Eisenhower Matrix (which sounds more like an airport spy novel than a time hack). I’ve had focus blocks, deep work sessions, and 90-minute productivity sprints. I’ve even created an elaborate filtering system to block distracting websites—though that doesn’t help much when you work at UltraSignup and are the distraction.
None of it worked. My desk is littered with abandoned journals, post-it notes that look like ransom letters from my to-do list and a vague sense of existential dread.
The only “hack” that’s ever helped me get more done? Doing less.
If you need a little pep talk in the art of slacking off, let me introduce you to one of my favorite recent reads: 4,000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. It’s part anti-productivity manifesto, part reality check, and 100% what every overwhelmed runner/human needs to hear this time of year. It’s methadone for the productivity-addicted amongst us.
Here’s Burkeman’s blunt take:
Productivity is a trap. Becoming more efficient just makes you more rushed… Nobody in the history of humanity has ever achieved ‘work-life balance,’ whatever that might be, and you certainly won’t get there by copying the ‘six things successful people do before 7:00 a.m.’
The to-do list will never end. The emails will never stop. You will never magically “get it all under control.” And that, Burkeman insists, is actually great news.
As much as I’d love to unwrap an extra 10 hours a week and tie it up with a giant red bow, I’m learning to accept the next best gift for my running and beyond: the power of saying no.
It’s not easy for a recovering workaholic people pleaser, but some texts will stay unanswered. A few emails will go unread. My laundry might live in the dryer long enough to claim squatter’s rights. But the upside? For every “no,” I get closer to a “hell yes.”
If you, like me, are prone to making impossible New Year’s resolutions that depend on cramming an already packed schedule with more miles, more gym time, more cooking, PT, cross-training, more PT, a meditation routine, getting more sleep, journaling, reading, and more PT, the best thing you can do is take things away.
Edit your schedule and routines ruthlessly. Acknowledge that your time is limited, and make hard decisions accordingly. Admit that you can’t do it all and that maybe you didn’t actually want to in the first place.
And that’s worth more than all the time hacks in the world.
Read More of The Aid Station By Zoë Rom
-
The Importance of Celebrating Microwins
It’s good to set big, ambitious goals. Just make sure you celebrate the little wins along the way. -
Embracing the Uncool as Trail Running Evolves
Trail running is suddenly cool, but you don’t have to be. You just need to keep showing up however you are. -
Retracing Steps: Why You Should Repeat Races, Workouts, and Anything That Makes You Happy
Here’s why repeating a race is less like running it again and more like actually running it for the first time. -
In Praise of Doing it The Hard Way
In a world where we constantly strive to make things easier, automated, and painless, Zoë Rom ponders her love of ultrarunning, a sport of maximum inconvenience. -
The Case for Not Starting Over
It’s tempting to look at your calendar early in 2026 and, in the gaping expanse of the future, only see the things you have yet to do. But here’s what I’ve been thinking about: What if January isn’t a reset? What if it’s just… a continuation? -
An Immaterial Gift Guide For Runners
Holiday gift guides are inescapable, insufferable, and mostly useless. So instead of hawking stuff you don’t need, here are eight immaterial gifts every runner should put on their wish list this season.
RELATED: The Importance of Celebrating Microwins
RELATED: Embracing the Uncool as Trail Running Evolves
RELATED: Retracing Steps: Why You Should Repeat Races, Workouts, and Anything That Makes You Happy
1 comment
Jennie Conyers
Omg!! This is exactly what I needed today. Thank you, Zoe. I will be looking for that book and devouring it asap.