# How to Scrounge for Between Time

[^note]: Also consider reading about things you can accomplish with [500 hours of Between Time](/500-hours).

- [Decline invitations](/decline-invitations). Curate a calm calendar. Your schedule is sacred.
- Clump appointments. Choose chunks of your day to be non-negotiably free for yourself.
- Adopt an unusual sleep schedule. Go to bed at 3AM or wake up at 4AM. Between Time abounds while society sleeps.
- Avoid Outside. Shop online. Use virtual doctors, mobile dog-groomers, grocery delivery, etc.
- If appointments can't be avoided, [separate busy brain from busy body](/busy-body).
- Track your time. Keep a captain's log. You'll find entire hours between the cushions of your calendar.
- Focus on progressing projects over completing tasks. Prefer prompts like "work on X for 25 minutes" insead of "finish X".
- Make the main thing the main thing. Keep a short list of priorities.
- Choose low-hanging fruit. Don't put yourself in planning peril. Don't drown in murky deliverables. Tackle obvious tasks.
- Maintain a [working-memory.txt](https://www.calnewport.com/blog/2015/10/27/deep-habits-workingmemory-txt-the-most-important-productivity-tool-youve-never-heard-of/) file. Make your mind easy to offload and upload.
- Quash your perfectionism. Settle for less. You will never find the magic moment to make your magnum opus. Masterpieces are made in Between Time.
- Decide your defaults in-advance. [Make important things inevitable](/make-important-things-inevitable). If you're writing a novel, make your manuscript ready-to-go in 30 seconds. Make your most precious tools portable.
- 40 seconds is enough time to jot insights from fresh eyes. Context-switching causes creativity. Use your scattered schedule to unload and reload problems. Sometimes your brain can glean insight from seemingly unrelated content. Between Time is excellent for editing.
- Never fuss over interruptions. Take responsibility for your time and your mind.