I learned something from Taoism that completely changed the way I use my time.

And strangely enough, I discovered that it is not about working harder.

It is almost the opposite.

From reading Lao-Tzu, I became fascinated by his metaphor of water. Lao-Tzu observed that water doesn’t struggle against the world. Instead of fighting, it finds the path of least resistance.

Also in Chuang-Tzu, I found stories about people who become more effective because they stop forcing things.

And Yang-Tzu taught me that life is too precious to be wasted pursuing things that don’t truly matter.

I took five insights from these Taoist philosophers and started applying them to my own life.

Together, they help me save roughly an hour every day.

Here’s what I did.

Number five. I ignore what doesn’t affect me

I stopped paying attention to news, rumours and drama that don’t actually affect my life.

I noticed how easily I could lose time.

I’d see a headline and click.

I’d see an outrageous statement and read the comments.

I’d hear a rumour and start wondering whether it was true.

Before I knew it, half an hour was gone.

And I realised that I hadn’t gained anything from it.

So I adopted the habit of asking myself:

“Does this thing actually affect my life?”

If it doesn’t, I let it go.

I’ve learned that my attention is part of my life.

And I don’t want to give my life away to things that don’t matter to me.

Number four. I avoid aggressive people

I also became more careful about the people and situations I allow into my life.

I used to think that every disagreement needed a response.

Now I don’t.

After reading about the Taoist Wu Wei principle, the idea of letting go of unnecessary action, I started looking at conflicts differently.

One of my favourite Chuang-Tzu stories is about Cook Ding.

To prepare food, Cook Ding doesn’t employ brute force.

His tools stay sharp for years because he doesn’t force them.

I started thinking about my own life in exactly this way.

When I encounter someone who annoys me, I prefer to step aside.

I end the conversation politely.

And I walk away.

I’ve discovered that avoiding unnecessary conflicts can save me vast amounts of time.

Number three. I embrace reasonable minimalism

I also started simplifying my life.

I realised that everything I own, maintain or organise, takes time.

I looked around and started noticing how many things demanded my attention.

I noticed the unnecessary meetings.

The unused apps.

The plans that get nowhere.

At one point, I realised I was wasting time on those.

My reading of Yang-Tzu reinforced this insight.

I became more conscious of how precious my own life is.

So I started asking myself:

“Do I really need this?”

When the answer was no, I removed it.

Every unnecessary thing I eliminate gives me back a little time and mental energy.

And those savings keep adding up.

Number two. I gave up perfectionism.

I also had to give up perfectionism.

This one was difficult because I used to think perfectionism was a virtue.

But I eventually realised how much time it was costing me.

To rewrite an email again and again.

To keep changing a presentation that was already fairly good.

To spend extra time improving something that was already working well.

Eventually, I started asking myself:

“Is it really worth it to improve this thing, or is it a waste of time?”

That question changed my behaviour.

I started accepting that “good enough” can sometimes be the best choice.

I’ve learned to finish things and move on.

Letting go of perfectionism has given me enormous amounts of time.

Number one. I try to be like water.

I’ve tried to imitate the flexibility of water in everything I do.

Lao-Tzu’s thoughts about water had a huge impact on me.

Especially his observation that water flows around obstacles.

It doesn’t waste energy trying to defeat the rocks in its path.

I’ve started doing the same thing.

When my plans are disrupted, I immediately adapt instead of getting frustrated.

When someone says no, I immediately look for another route.

When my plans get blocked, I immediately ask myself:

“Is there a way around?”

I’ve discovered that I don’t need to solve every problem.

Very often, it is enough to circumvent problems and move on.

The more I practise these ideas, the more time I gain.

Because the easiest way to be more productive is to stop wasting time.

If you are interested in applying rational ideas in all sorts of situations, I recommend my book “The 10 Principles of Rational Living.”