Episode 101 – This Ancient Law Will Allow You To Manipulate Time

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Note: This blog post serves as an accompaniment to the corresponding podcast episode of A Changed Mind, where we’ll distill down the core ideas of this week’s theme, along with additional distinctions and insights. If you haven’t listened to the episode yet, you can go here to do so.  Enjoy.

As entrepreneurs, it’s such a common experience to feel like there’s just no way to fit everything in. You’ve got a bucket of things you kind of, sort of know you should be doing. Maybe they’re things that could improve your life or your business. But then you think, “There’s no way I can manage this with the amount of time I have today.” And I get it. That used to be me, too.

Here’s the thing: we’ve misunderstood how time works. It’s not fixed. I want to explain why that’s the case and how you can actually create more time in your day. I’m not talking about hustling harder or burning out. I’m talking about transforming your relationship with time itself.

My Breaking Point: How Crisis Led to Transformation

Back in 2010, I was running a venture-backed tech company. I’d raised over $4 million from private investors, venture capitalists, and even Silicon Valley Bank. I was early in the SEO game, and by 2004, I had the number one ranking mortgage lead generation website on the internet. On paper, I should have been thriving.

But the reality? My life was a mess. I was in the midst of addiction to drugs, alcohol, and pornography. My business was failing. I had no concept of personal growth or self-awareness. I was completely unmanageable.

Thankfully, my life started falling apart because it forced me to look at what was really going on. My therapist laid out a plan: three 12-step meetings a week, weekly therapy, and a men’s group. Each of these commitments was a 30- to 45-minute drive each way. I remember thinking, “There’s no way I can manage this with the amount of time I have.” But I knew I had to do it.

So I reprioritized. I made my recovery the most important thing in my life. And what happened next was miraculous. The rest of my life became more efficient and organized. Tasks that used to take hours were done in a fraction of the time. Weekly commitments I thought were essential? Turns out, I didn’t need to do them, or someone else could handle them.

Parkinson’s Law and the Elasticity of Time

There’s a concept called Parkinson’s Law, which states that the work you have to do will expand to fill the time you give it. Maybe you’ve experienced this: you’ve got four weeks to finish a project, and it ends up taking exactly four weeks. But here’s the twist—Parkinson’s Law works the other way, too. If you give yourself less time to do something, you’ll become more efficient.

When I made my recovery a priority, I unknowingly tapped into this principle. By allocating time to meetings and therapy, my brain had to figure out how to fit everything else into the remaining hours. Tasks I once thought were non-negotiable suddenly became streamlined or unnecessary. My relationship with time shifted entirely.

Why Time Feels Fixed (And Why It’s Not)

Most of us live as though time is a fixed equation: X hours in a day divided by Y tasks equals no room for anything else. But that’s a misconception. When you decide to add something important to your life—whether it’s exercise, meditation, or spending more time with family—your life will reorganize to accommodate it.

Gandhi understood this when he said, “I have so much to do today, I must meditate for two hours instead of one.” At first glance, this seems absurd. If you’re overwhelmed, why spend more time meditating? But Gandhi knew something most of us don’t: grounding yourself first creates a ripple effect of efficiency throughout the rest of your day.

The Power of Deciding What’s Important

Here’s what happens when you insert a new priority into your day. Your mind recalibrates. Tasks you thought were essential might not be. Delegation becomes easier. And your brain starts to work smarter, not harder. This isn’t some woo-woo concept. It’s grounded in behavioral psychology and neuroscience.

When you decide something is important enough to add to your schedule, your brain rewires itself. You start having thoughts and ideas that align with your new priorities. You feel differently. You act differently. And suddenly, you’re achieving more in the same amount of time.

The Myth of Either/Or

Too many entrepreneurs sacrifice their health and relationships on the altar of success. They believe they have to choose between thriving in business or thriving in life. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Life can be a “yes, and” experience. You can grow your business and spend time with your family. You can prioritize your health and hit your revenue goals.

What Gandhi and others have demonstrated is that by grounding yourself first, everything else becomes more efficient. Meditation, exercise, journaling—these practices aren’t just self-care. They’re productivity hacks. They build emotional resilience, regulate your nervous system, and heal limiting beliefs that create drag in your life.

Time vs. Timing

Here’s a distinction we rarely talk about: time itself isn’t as important as timing. When you align your actions with empowered beliefs, you start noticing synchronicities. The right business partner shows up. The perfect hire crosses your path. Opportunities seem to fall into place. That’s not luck; it’s the result of being in alignment.

You can’t outwork timing. But you can create it by deciding what’s important and taking inspired action.

Try This Experiment

If you’re feeling stuck, I want you to try something. Pick one thing you’ve been putting off—something that lights you up or feels meaningful. Maybe it’s taking a walk in the afternoon, spending time with your kids, or journaling for 10 minutes. Add it to your day without subtracting anything else.

Watch what happens. Tasks that seemed immovable will shift. New efficiencies will emerge. Your energy will increase. And you’ll start to see how flexible time really is.

Your 36-Hour Day

This isn’t about adding more hours to the clock. It’s about shifting your relationship with time. When you prioritize what truly matters, you’ll discover that time expands to meet your needs. Tasks take less time. Opportunities align effortlessly. And you’ll feel more balanced, fulfilled, and in control.

Life is always working for your greatest growth and prosperity. By embracing the fluid nature of time, you can achieve more while living a richer, more joyful life. So, what’s the one thing you’ll prioritize today? Start there, and watch your world transform.