To Achieve More, Focus on ‘Compound Time’
“You have the same number of hours in the day as Beyoncé” is one of those quotes — often seen on mugs and Pinterest boards titled “hustle” — that’s more eye-roll-inducing than inspiring. I’m sorry, but no, Queen Bey probably doesn’t have to have to use her precious hours to clean out the litter box or remember to buy eggs because the ones in the fridge expired yesterday.
And yet, there’s still great value in analyzing how Beyoncé or any world-class performer spends their time. After reading thousands of biographies, the author and entrepreneur Michael Simmons discovered a common practice of top performers in just about every industry: They spend 10 hours a week on what he calls “compound time.”
Simmons explains:
Despite having way more responsibility than anyone else, top performers in the business world often find time to step away from their urgent work, slow down, and invest in activities that have a long-term payoff in greater knowledge, creativity, and energy. As a result, they may achieve less in a day at first, but drastically more over the course of their lives.
I call this compound time because, like compound interest, a small investment now yields surprisingly large returns over time.
