The Time Freedom Podcast

Want More Serendipity? Laura Vanderkam Says to Say Yes More Often

Episode Summary

Today on the podcast, Brian and Kirby welcome Laura Vanderkam. Laura is a bestselling author, speaker, and one of the most well-known voices in the world on how people spend their time. Her TED Talk, "How to Gain Control of Your Free Time," has been viewed over 16 million times, and she's been tracking her own time down to the half hour for more than a decade. In this episode, Laura joins Brian and Kirby to talk about her newest book, Big Time: A Simple Path to Time Abundance, out May 5, 2026. They dig into why "I don't have time" is really just another way of saying "it's not a priority," why saying yes to things that intrigue you can lead to unexpected opportunities, and the concept of active patience.

Episode Notes

Top 5 Takeaways:

"I don't have time" really means "it's not a priority." Changing that language reminds you that time is a choice.
Saying yes to things that intrigue you, even small or unfamiliar ones, is how new opportunities find you.
Active patience means doing your part so time can do its part. "Not yet" doesn't mean never.
Complexity is not the same as chaos. A well-run life can have a lot going on and still feel orchestrated.
You have 8,760 hours in a year. When you track them, you start to see space where you thought there was none.

Chapters:

0:00 – Introduction to Laura Vanderkam & Time Management
10:34 – What Time Abundance Really Means
15:25 – Active Patience & Long-Term Thinking
23:37 – The Role of Feedback in Growth
26:24 – Life as a “Circus” (and Why That’s Okay)
28:10 – The One-Year View on Time
31:02 – Prioritizing What Truly Matters
32:41 – Time, Kids, and Accountability
34:33 – Key Reflections & Final Insights
37:07 – Time Freedom Book Promotion

LAURA VANDERKAM

Laura Vanderkam is a bestselling author, speaker, and one of the leading voices on time management and productivity. She's the author of seven books on time, including 168 Hours, Tranquility by Tuesday, Off the Clock, and her newest, Big Time: A Simple Path to Time Abundance. Laura’s work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and Fortune. She's a Princeton grad and lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and five children.

You can connect with Laura at lauravanderkam.com.