The Illusion Of Time

Hello Canadian Girls Basketball Family,

1. There’s an illusion with the idea of spare time; a concept that suggests that there is in fact more than enough time in a day to accomplish your tasks, and therefore some left over to spare. There isn’t. Let’s break it down.
   

   24h/day – 6h of school = 18 hours
   18h – 7h of sleep = 11 hours
   11h – 2h for meals = 9 hours
   9h – 2h for homework = 7 hours
   7h – 1h for hygiene/bathroom = 6 hours
   6h – 3h on social media* = 3 hours

   *Research finds that Internet users who watched a video on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat last month spent an average of 2 hours and 59 minutes on social networks every day. Statistics say that 16-24 year olds spend 3.34% (or 4 hours) of their day on social media.

   Having accomplished all the necessities in your day (some of the hour allocations are arguable, but you get the idea), there’s just about 3 hours left. We still haven’t gotten in the gym. Or worked out. Or hung out with friends. Or helped with chores around the house. Or watched TV. Or done whatever else it is you want to do.

2. Now let’s talk money since it seems to be a very valuable and common goal. Making money means that you’re using your time in a way that provides a financial return. I’m not sure what “a lot” of money means to each of you, but here is what research says.

   In the following cities, here is how much money you need to make to be considered rich:
   Toronto, ON: $301,883/year.
   Montreal, QC: 224,060/year.
   Vancouver, BC: $246,266/year.
   St-John’s, NL: $256,918/year.

   That average is $257,282. Which means that you make $705/day, and $59/hour. Now look at how your hours are spent in your daily life. Are those hours worth $59 each?

   Here is what I’m getting at, TIME IS VALUABLE. There aren’t enough hours in the day, and those few hours are each extremely valuable. You’ll soon realize that adulthood is seriously overrated, and if you want to make adult responsibilities suck less, then the time to prepare is now.

3. Lastly, a key component to excellence in your game is experience. Experience kills your weaknesses, fears, and discomfort. The fluidity and confidence of your game grows. The only way to gain experience is through practice. Malcolm Gladwell’s book titled Outliers discuses the 10,000 hour rule which states that you need 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become world-class in any field.

Deliberate practice refers to a special type of practice that is purposeful and systematic. While regular practice might include mindless repetitions, deliberate practice requires focused attention and is conducted with the specific goal of improving performance.

Use your time in the gym wisely; doing every single rep the exact same way is what will build long-term muscle memory. Once that’s built, you can perform those reps without conscious effort – like walking or riding a bike. Your need for attention and effort decreases, and it increases your offensive efficiency.

Build good habits, and stop wasting time.