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How to Fiercely Protect Your Time

Are people demanding too much from you?

7 min readAug 14, 2020

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Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash

Nowadays, it’s perfectly acceptable for others to steal our time.

“Can you just do this for me?”

“Do you mind sending that email?”

“Let's have that meeting now.”

We all experience time vampires on a daily basis. They aren’t afraid to audaciously ask for things they have no claim to. They want something doing, and they want it now.

Couple that with the fact 54% of Americans feel overwhelmed or in need of help — and it’s no wonder you find your time under constant attack.

It can feel like there’s no escape from time vampires — because, rather paradoxically, the more you help them, the more they expect from you. And before you know it, your 24 hour day has passed by.

For example, at University last year, my friends often messaged me course-related questions. I was more than happy to answer — and the more I did, the more they asked. They also told their friends about my receptiveness to questions, and I built a bit of a reputation. Before I knew it, my email and Facebook inbox was being flooded with on a daily basis, from random people I didn’t even know.

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Jon Hawkins
Jon Hawkins

Written by Jon Hawkins

PhD Candidate in Philosophy at the University of Leeds. I write articles which help you better understand the universe and your place in it.