You don t find time you make time Meaning Factcheck Usage

You don’t find time; you make time for what matters. This isn’t just a productivity tip; it’s a fundamental shift in mindset that separates those who achieve their goals from those who just talk about them. It’s about taking ownership of your 24 hours and actively building your life, brick by brick.

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Table of Contents

• Meaning
• Explanation
• Origin & Factcheck
• Context
• Usage Examples
• FAQ

Meaning

The core message is brutal but simple: Time is not a resource you stumble upon. It’s a resource you consciously create and allocate through your choices and priorities.

Explanation

Look, we’ve all said it. “I just can’t find the time.” I’ve said it. You’ve said it. But here’s the thing I’ve learned after years of coaching and building businesses: that phrase is a complete cop-out. It’s a passive way of saying, “This isn’t a priority for me right now.” When you shift your thinking from *finding* time to *making* time, you move from being a passenger in your life to the driver. You start auditing your day. That 45-minute social media scroll? That’s a choice. That extra episode on Netflix? Also a choice. Making time means looking at those pockets of lost minutes and actively deciding to trade them for something that truly matters to your future self. It’s an active, sometimes difficult, process of prioritization.

Quote Summary

Context	Attributes
Original Language	English (4111)
Category	Success (380)
Topics	discipline (263), priorities (23), time (65)
Literary Style	assertive (150), philosophical (464), succinct (152)
Emotion / Mood	motivating (345)
Overall Quote Score	74 (83)

Origin & Factcheck

This quote comes directly from Michael Matthews’s 2012 fitness book, Thinner Leaner Stronger, which was published in the United States. You’ll sometimes see similar sentiments attributed to other self-help gurus or even ancient philosophers, but the specific phrasing “You don’t find time; you make time…” is Matthews’s.

Attribution Summary

Context	Attributes
Author	Michael Matthews (111)
Source Type	Book (4572)
Source/Book Name	Thinner Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Female Body (55)
Origin Timeperiod	21st Century (1995)
Original Language	English (4111)
Authenticity	Verified (4572)

Where is this quotation located?

Quotation	You don’t find time; you make time for what matters
Book Details	Publication Year/Date: 2012; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 9781938895308; Last edition: 2021 Revised Edition; Number of pages: 420
Where is it?	Approximate page 402, Chapter 20: The Priority Principle

Context

Matthews uses this line in the context of fitness. He’s directly confronting the most common excuse he hears for not working out or eating right. He’s telling his readers, “Stop waiting for a magical, empty slot to appear in your calendar. It won’t. You have to create the slot by treating your health as a non-negotiable appointment.”

Usage Examples

This principle is universal. Here’s how it plays out:

• For the aspiring entrepreneur: Instead of saying “I don’t have time to build a side business,” they make time by waking up an hour earlier each day, treating that hour as sacred, untouchable work time.
• For the overwhelmed parent: Instead of “I never have a moment for myself,” they make time by swapping childcare with a partner or friend for two hours on a Saturday, creating a non-negotiable window for their own sanity or hobbies.
• For the busy professional wanting to learn: They don’t “find time” to read. They make time by committing to listen to an audiobook during their commute instead of the same old radio station.

To whom it appeals?

Context	Attributes
Theme	Principle (990)
Audiences	coaches (1342), entrepreneurs (1083), professionals (816), students (3446)
Usage Context/Scenario	motivational videos (53), productivity talks (12), self-growth posts (1), time management classes (2)

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FAQ

Question: Isn’t this just about being more productive and busy?

Answer: Not at all. In fact, it’s the opposite. It’s about being more intentional. The goal isn’t to cram more into your day. The goal is to ensure that what you *do* cram in actually aligns with your values and long-term vision. Sometimes, “making time” means making time to do absolutely nothing, because rest is a priority too.

Question: But what if I’m genuinely, objectively too busy?

Answer: I hear you. And look, there are seasons of life that are brutally demanding. But this concept asks you to take an honest audit. Is every single minute of your day spent on a true, unavoidable necessity? Often, we find we have more agency than we think. It’s not about having more time; it’s about using the time we have, differently.

Question: How is this different from good time management?

Answer: Time management is the *how*—the systems, the calendars, the to-do lists. “Making time” is the *why* and the *mindset* that fuels it. It’s the internal decision that something is important enough to warrant a fundamental reshuffling of your daily life. The mindset has to come before the system, or the system will fail.