While to-do lists seem endless and the days go by too quickly, an American coach says that we can “multiply the time”. In his videos on Instagram, he speaks to those who open their mailboxes first thing in the morning, exhausted. His idea can be summed up in one sentence: the problem is not time, it is the way we organize ourselves.
This coach is Rory Vaden, author of the book Procrastinate on Purpose: 5 Permissions to Multiply Your Time. In an article published by Psychologies, he summarizes his eponymous method in four steps: eliminate, automate, delegate, concentrate. The full version adds a permission little known in France: to procrastinate on purpose, to postpone certain non-strategic tasks.
The Rory Vaden method for “multiplying time” at work
First step according to Rory Vaden: remove what brings nothing. It invites us to ask ourselves a question: “Ask yourself, if I never did this task, would it change anything in my life? If no, say no, because every no today creates time tomorrow“, he explains in a video. Saying no to a useless meeting means giving yourself an hour of freedom every week.
Second movement: automate everything that repeats itself. “Giving (yourself) permission to invest the time necessary to do something once, so you never have to do it again“, advises Rory Vaden.
Then comes the delegation: “In the short term, someone else won’t be able to do it as well as you, but in the long term, they’re going to learn and that’s going to free up time for you for the rest of your life.”
And for the decisive tasks, he summarizes: “If it matters and it multiplies time and you are the only person who can do it, do it now. No distractions, no calls, no interruptions.”
Rory Vaden’s permission to free himself from the schedule
Behind these steps are what Rory Vaden calls five permissions: permission to ignore, to invest, to be imperfect, to be incomplete and to protect your priorities. The fourth corresponds to “procrastinating on purpose”: accepting that a task remains on hold, as long as it does not create future value.
This permission for the incomplete changes everyday life at work. Instead of feeling guilty about an endless to-do list, we consciously decide what can be postponed until the next month or the next week. This is where self-management takes over from simple calendar management.
Apply the Rory Vaden method every day
Concretely, when faced with each request, Rory Vaden suggests going through this filter: can I eliminate it, automate it, delegate it or voluntarily defer it? If the answer is no everywhere, then it deserves your full attention.
Tested over a morning, this grid can reduce a schedule: fewer meetings, two automated tasks, one file assigned. Then, time ceases to be an enemy and becomes a chosen space.