Since I rarely get a 'chunk of time,' I want to manage with fragmented time

I want to spend my time leisurely.
I want to spend my time at my own pace, without any constraints, and as I please.
I want to study things I'm interested in or relax and read a book while drinking coffee.

Buta 'chunk of time' almost never comes.
Holidays are free, but once I sleep in, go shopping, and finish the housework, it's already Sunday evening in the blink of an eye.

Once the remaining time on my holiday starts to dwindle, I can't really 'relax' anymore.

And so, I tell myself, 'I'll definitely relax on next week's day off,' and work hard for another week.
But when the weekend comes, I sleep, go shopping, finish the housework, occasionally go out, and then it's Sunday evening again.

It's just a repetition of that.
In the end, the only time I can truly relax is during long holidays like Obon, New Year's, or Golden Week.

It's difficult to secure a 'chunk of time' at work.

At work, it's even harder to get a 'chunk of time'.
I actually want to focus on tasks that require brainpower, like drafting annual plans or brainstorming new initiatives.

But in reality, my time is constantly being eaten away by meetings, conversations with team members, and dealing with urgent matters.
Of course, I can block out 'work time' on my calendar to prevent other tasks from being scheduled.
However,the moment I start thinking, 'I have to do this and that,' I can't focus anyway.

And by the time I've finished processing everything, it's already night.
In my 20s, I had the stamina and concentration, so I used to act tough and say, 'After 6 PM is my time,' but I don't have that energy anymore.
The desire to go home early and eat ramen is stronger than any tough-guy persona.

Because of this, I tend to put off tasks that require deep focus until I can get a 'chunk of time'.
And then,I end up having to finish them in a rush right before the deadline.
And then, because I finished them in a rush, I'm completely exhausted, so I spend my holiday sleeping soundly, and my free time disappears.

This is bad, really bad.

I need to learn how to manage with fragmented time.

If I can't get a chunk of time, I have no choice but to make good use of fragmented time—15 minutes, 30 minutes, or at most an hour.
And to make good use of fragmented time,breaking down tasks is essential.

For example, for a task like 'creating a plan,' you can break it down as follows:

• Read related materials such as research documents and reports.

• Review last year's initiatives and identify what went well and what needs improvement.

• Decide on the outline for the new plan.

• Think about the slide structure.

• Actually create the slides.

I will do this kind of breakdown for every task.
And I will make a note of each broken-down item somewhere.

When I had fewer tasks, I could keep a 'to-do list' in my head, but as tasks increased, they no longer fit in my mind.
That's why I write lists in my planner or notebook.
Trying to make them look neat takes time, so I write them messily.

The same goes for how I spend my days off.
I break down housework into things like 'cleaning the bathroom,' 'cooking,' and 'doing laundry.'
If anything,I even break it down to 'start the laundry' and set a time for it.

Part of me thinks, 'You should just be able to handle that in your head.'
But since I'm not good at multitasking in the first place, I can move better if I break down what I need to do and write it out.

So, I recently bought a whiteboard.
And I'm writing down 'things to do every weekend' in detail on that whiteboard.
Once I write them out,I can finish chores little by little during small gaps in my day off, which gives me more free time.

Sometimes I think, 'I used to be able to organize things like this in my head and get them done efficiently.'
But that's just me overestimating my past self.

And above all,reminiscing about my past self won't bring 'large blocks of time' to the current me.
If anything, it just wastes some of my precious, fragmented time.

In that case, it's better to learn how to make effective use of the fragmented time given to the current me.

So, I'll end this by quoting a song from one of my favorite artists.