The Grit Journal

Using the 168-Hour Week to See Where Your Life Is Actually Going

You have 72 “extra” hours every week.

You don’t “not have time.” You have 168 hours a week. When you take out work and sleep, that leaves you with 72 hours. Seventy-two extra hours. Every week. The same as everyone else. And yet somehow, it still feels like you’re constantly behind. Like you’re running through your days trying to keep up. Trying to hold everything together, trying NOT to drop the ball on something that matters.

By the time you finally sit down at night, you’re exhausted. But you can’t even clearly explain (much less remember) what you did all day. Just… everything. And somehow, nothing. That feeling? That low key panic that your life is being spent faster than you can feel it? That’s not a time problem. It’s an awareness problem.

Life as a whole

Most people never actually see their life as a whole. I know I didn’t before I started this journey. Life is usually experienced in pieces. A workday here. A stressful moment there. A random hour lost scrolling. A promise to “start fresh on Monday.” We are going to change that.

Let’s pause long enough to zoom out and ask: Where is my life actually going? Not in a dramatic, existential crisis way. Nor in a weird star wars themed meditation way. In a real, measurable, “if I had to account for it… could I?” Kind of way.

The truth is, life feels chaotic sometimes. Life also has a sneaky way of making us feel like we are out of control. What we’re going to do is take our control back. How? By zooming out to look at it more clearly.

Introducing Laura Vanderkam

Laura Vanderkam has one of the simplest, most confronting concepts I’ve ever come across. Your life is 168 hours. That’s it. We’re not talking about your work week, or your to-do list. 168 hours is your whole week. That translates to your whole life.

And when you actually look at it like that, things start to get uncomfortable. Because most people assume they have no time. But when you break it down? You realize you DO have time. You just don’t know where it’s going.

The 72 hour reality check

I want you to actually do this. Not in your head. Not “yeah yeah I get it.”
Physically do it. Grab a piece of paper. This is your 168 hours. Tear off 56 hours for sleep. (Because yes, you need it, even if you’re running on caffeine and denial.) Now Tear off 40 to 50 hours for work. (More if you’re in a season, less if you’re lucky.)

Now stop, and look at what’s left in your hands. That right there? That’s your life. And this is where the shift happens. Because most people expect there to be nothing left. I know that’s what I expected. But there is. There’s actually a decent amount of time left. There’s more than enough time to do all the things you want to do, or need to do. In 72 hours you could:

• build something
• reconnect with people
• take care of yourself
• rest without guilt
• move your life forward in a real way

So the question isn’t: “Why don’t I have time?”

The real question is: “Where is the rest of it going?”

It’s not disappearing. It’s being spent. But on what?

• Things that drain you.
• Things that distract you.
• Things that feel urgent but mean nothing long-term.
• Emotional weight you’re carrying around like it’s part of your personality.

And once you see that? You can’t unsee it.

Next, we’re going to take this one step further… because this isn’t just about time. This is about what your time is actually saying about your life.

You Don’t Have a Time Problem. You Have an Alignment Problem.

Here’s where this gets uncomfortable. Because up to this point, it’s easy to nod along. “Yeah, I should be more aware of my time.” “Yeah, I probably waste a few hours here and there.”

🙄 Cool, whatever….

Stay with me, because all those excuses are about to fall apart.

Ask yourself this question: What do you say matters to you? Most people will answer quickly. They will say all the “right” things. All the things that should matter. Now ask a better question:

If someone looked at how you actually spend your time… would they come to the same conclusion?

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Because time doesn’t lie. It doesn’t care what your intentions were. It doesn’t care what you meant to do. It reflects what you actually gave your life to.

You say you value your health… But your time shows exhaustion, skipped meals, and running on fumes.

You say you value your relationships… But your time shows distraction, short conversations, and “I’ll get to it later.”

You say you want growth…But your time shows avoidance, overthinking, and staying exactly where you are.

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That gap? That space between what you say matters and what your life actually reflects? That’s where the frustration comes from. That’s why you feel off. That’s why nothing feels fully satisfying. That’s why even when you’re “getting things done,” it still feels like something’s missing.

Not because you’re out of time. Because you’re out of alignment.

And let me be clear about something, because this part matters: This isn’t about guilt. This isn’t meant to have you shaming yourself for scrolling too much, or not waking up at 5am, or not having your life perfectly together.(whatever that looks like 🙄)

This is about awareness. Because you cannot change what you refuse to see.

The Comparison

Most people never actually compare the two. They just keep moving. Busy. Tired. Slightly disconnected. Repeating the same week over and over again, wondering why nothing feels different.

But when you actually look at your time and your values side by side? Everything shifts. Not overnight. Not magically. But clearly.

Once you can point to it, you can say “This right here, this is where my life is out of alignment.”

And that’s where change actually begins.

Let’s make it real. I put together something simple, but powerful:
The 72-Hour Alignment Audit

No overwhelm. No complicated system. Just a clear look at your life… on paper.

The take Away

You don’t need to overhaul your entire life overnight. You don’t need to become a completely different person by Monday. You just need to start paying attention.

Because the truth is: Your life is already being built… hour by hour. The only question is whether it’s being built intentionally,
or by default.

So start small. Make one shift. Because you don’t need more time. You need to decide what deserves it.

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