Alright, so some of you’ve been asking about this “time Rabat now” thing I mention now and then. And no, it’s not some fancy new mindfulness app or a trendy productivity hack I picked up from a guru. It’s simpler than that, way simpler, and it came from a place of, well, let’s just say, organized chaos that I had to wrestle to the ground.
My “Rabat” Days
See, for the longest time, my days felt like I was stuck in “Rabat.” Now, I’ve never actually been to Rabat, the city, but in my head, “Rabat” became this code for being totally swamped, running around like a headless chicken, busy all the time but getting absolutely nothing important done. You know that feeling? Where you’re just putting out fires, jumping from one urgent (but not really important) thing to another? That was my “Rabat.” My to-do list was a mile long, and I’d end the day feeling like I’d run a marathon but hadn’t actually moved an inch forward on the stuff that mattered.
I’d try all sorts of things. Fancy planners, digital calendars with a million reminders, sticky notes everywhere. It just added to the noise, really. More things to manage, more ways to feel like I was failing at managing ’em.
The “Now” Moment Kicked In
Then, there was this one week. Man, it was a doozy. I’d promised my kid I’d help with a school project, a big one. And I also had this important piece of work I needed to finish up for a personal goal I’d set. I was juggling, thinking I was some kind of multitasking wizard. Spoiler: I wasn’t. The school project got a half-baked effort from a tired dad, and my personal goal? Pushed back, again. I felt like a real chump.
That evening, sitting there amidst the fallout of my own disorganization, something just snapped. I looked at my messy desk, my overflowing inbox, and I just said, out loud, to an empty room, “Okay, time. Rabat. Now.” It was like, “Enough of this ‘Rabat’ nonsense, I’m dealing with this time thing, right now.” It wasn’t angry, more like a tired sigh of resignation that I had to change, and it had to be immediate.
What I Actually Did – The “Practice”
So, what was my grand plan? Honestly, it was almost embarrassingly simple. No spreadsheets, no complex systems. Here’s what I started doing, and what I still mostly do:
- First off, I got a really basic, cheap notebook. The kind with lines. And a pen that worked. That’s it. No apps.
- Every morning, before I even thought about checking emails or getting sucked into the day, I’d sit with that notebook for maybe five, ten minutes tops.
- I’d ask myself: “What’s the one thing, the absolute number one thing, that if I get it done today, I’ll feel like I’ve won?” Just one. Sometimes it was tough to pick, but I forced myself.
- I’d write that one thing at the top of the page. Big letters sometimes, if it felt particularly monstrous.
- Then, and only then, I might jot down two or three smaller, supporting tasks. Or things that would be nice to do if the main thing got done early.
- And here’s a big one: I started getting real comfortable saying “no,” or “not right now,” to things that weren’t that one big thing. That was hard, especially at first. But super crucial.
I didn’t always hit it. Some days, “Rabat” would creep back in. But most days, focusing on that one main thing made a huge difference. It was like giving my brain a clear target instead of a hundred fuzzy ones.
How It’s Going
It’s not like I suddenly found extra hours in the day. The clock still ticks the same. But it’s about where my energy goes. Instead of scattering it everywhere, I try to point it at what truly counts for that day. Some days it’s about a big work task, other days it’s about being properly present with my family, making that the “one thing.”
So yeah, “time Rabat now” isn’t a magic bullet. It’s just my personal, a bit clunky, reminder to stop the frantic running and focus. To take control of my “Rabat” moments before they take control of me. It’s an ongoing practice, a daily reset. And honestly, for me, it’s made all the difference. Maybe something simple like that could help you too if you’re feeling a bit stuck in your own “Rabat.”
