Rivr Conversations

Inspired by Brent Drever’s Rivr Notes newsletter, this episode takes a closer look at one of the most universal — and limited — resources we have: time. We’ll break down where most of our hours actually go, what’s truly left, and how small choices can make a big difference in how we feel, lead, and live. It’s a conversation about presence, priorities, and spending your time in ways that matter.

View the Rivr Notes for this Episode > https://onrivr.com/rivr-notes/your-8760-hours/

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What is Rivr Conversations?

Rivr Conversations is a podcast inspired by Brent Drever’s Rivr Notes—a newsletter that sparks reflection and offers practical insight. In each short episode, expert Rivr Guides unpack the latest note, exploring themes of leadership, performance, and wellness. If you’re seeking grounded wisdom in under 20 minutes, you’re in the right place.

Andy:

Today's conversation is about one of the most valuable things we all have and often overlook, time. It's inspired by Brent's Rivr Notes post, Your eight thousand seven hundred and sixty hours. We'll explore how most of our time gets used, what's actually left, and why being just a little more intentional with our hours can lead to big shifts in how we live, lead, and feel. It's not about doing more it's about choosing better. Because when you realize how few truly open hours you have each day, the real question becomes: how do you want to spend them?

Andy:

I'm Andy, your Rivr Conversations host and part of the AI team working alongside Brent, the creator of Rivr Notes and this podcast. Rivr Conversations is an extension of Brent's popular weekly newsletter, Rivr Notes. Each week, two of our expert Rivr Guides sit down to reflect on the latest note, sharing insights, takeaways and stories that explore leadership, performance and wellness in a grounded, thoughtful way. With that in mind, let's step into the river and hear what our guides uncovered in this week's journey.

Lena:

Hello everyone. Looking forward to today's conversation. We're exploring something that, well, it touches every single one of us in exactly the same way. It doesn't matter who you are, where you are, we all get the same amount, time. Specifically, we're looking at those eight thousand seven hundred and sixty hours in a year.

Lena:

It's the great equalizer, isn't it?

Reed:

It really is. Everyone searches that same number. No more, no less.

Lena:

And today, we're digging into where those hours actually go. We're using Brent's Rivr Notes, specifically his piece, your eight thousand seven hundred and sixty hours as a starting point. The aim is to unpack it, maybe find some surprising facts, some practical takeaways about how we use this, you know, incredibly precious resource.

Reed:

And I think that's where it gets really fascinating. Because the quantity is fixed, sure. But the difference, the real story, is in what we choose to do with it. That choice, that's the core of it. That's what we're exploring based on Brent's reflections.

Lena:

Okay. Yeah. Let's unpack that. Let's start with what Brent calls the non negotiables. These are the basics.

Lena:

Right? The things that just have to happen.

Reed:

The foundations of daily life.

Lena:

First up, the really big one, sleep. Brent estimates aiming for that healthy eight hours a night. That comes out to two thousand nine hundred and twenty hours a year.

Reed:

Which is huge. That's a third of your entire year right there.

Lena:

A full third. And Brent emphasizes it's not just the hours, it's the quality. Right? That restorative aspect.

Reed:

Absolutely. He really stresses that point in the note. Good quality sleep isn't just downtime. It actually makes your waking hours better, more effective. He frames it almost like an investment.

Reed:

Prioritize good sleep and you might actually gain more productive time, maybe even add years down the line.

Lena:

Right. It's not lost time. It's preparation time.

Reed:

Exactly. Perhaps the best time management technique there is in a way.

Lena:

I definitely feel that difference on days after a good sleep. Okay. So next, essential. Eating. And this covers everything around food, not just chewing.

Reed:

Yeah. The prep, the shopping, the deciding what to eat.

Lena:

Yeah. Staring into the fridge. Brent puts this around, what, two hours a day?

Reed:

That's the estimate, which adds up.

Lena:

It does. Seven hundred and thirty hours a year. That's about 8% of your time. Seems like a lot, but when you break down all those little food related tasks.

Reed:

It makes sense. And what's interesting in Brent's take is how even this time can be, well, elevated, being mindful, maybe sharing meals, enjoying the process. It turns it from just a chore into something potentially enriching.

Lena:

Yeah. Another way to sort of invest the time rather than just spend it. I like that. Okay. And then there's the wellness routine, gym, yoga, walks, meditation, whatever keeps you going.

Reed:

Staying human, as you said earlier.

Lena:

Brent estimates about ten hours a week for this.

Reed:

That's the figure used.

Lena:

So another five hundred and twenty hours a year, roughly 6% of your time.

Reed:

So let's just pause there. If we add those up, sleep, food, wellness, these basic survival and maintenance things.

Lena:

Okay.

Reed:

We're already talking about nearly half your year, about four thousand one hundred and seventy hours or 48%. Focal for. And Brent's point again is that investing well here, quality sleep, mindful eating, consistent movement, it pays back, it fuels everything else. It manages your energy, which makes the other half of your time, that other 52%, much more effective.

Lena:

That spending versus investing idea is really key, isn't it? Especially when we move to the next block? Work.

Reed:

Yes. The structured chunk for most people.

Lena:

Yeah. For many, this defines the week. Brent uses an estimate of fifty hours a week on the job.

Reed:

Which might even be conservative for some folks these days.

Lena:

Could be. But even at fifty hours, that's twenty six hundred hours a year.

Reed:

A solid 30% of your total time.

Lena:

Right. So add that to the essentials.

Reed:

And now we're up to roughly 80% of the year accounted for. Sleep, eating, wellness, work. 80% gone.

Lena:

That really puts it in perspective. So much time is allocated before we even get to, you know, free choice.

Reed:

It does. It highlights how precious that remaining time actually is.

Lena:

And we also need to factor in what Brent calls daily transitions. That sort of gearing up time in the morning and winding down time at night.

Reed:

The buffer zones between activities. Right.

Lena:

Exactly. Getting ready, commuting maybe, shifting out of work mode. He estimates about one point five hours a day for this.

Reed:

Yeah. About that.

Lena:

Which is another five hundred and forty eight hours a year, give or take. So over 6% of your time just transitioning.

Reed:

And it might seem like wasted time, but Brent suggests it's actually vital. Rushing those transitions leads to stress. Feeling constantly on, that buffer helps you mentally shift gears, making you more present for whatever's next.

Lena:

Like oil in the machine prevents grinding.

Reed:

Precisely. Without it, things don't run smoothly.

Lena:

Okay. So let's recap. We've got sleep, eating, wellness, work, transitions, all the must dos and have tos. The big question then is, what's actually left? How much time is genuinely yours?

Reed:

After all those commitments.

Lena:

Brent's answer in the note is, well, it's kinda surprising. About three hours per day.

Reed:

Just three hours.

Lena:

About that. Yeah. Three hours of truly open unscheduled time, time that's completely yours to direct.

Reed:

That really highlights the challenge, doesn't it? If 80 something percent is structured or essential, those remaining three hours become incredibly valuable. So the crucial question Brent raises is, what are you doing with that pocket of potential? What choices shape those few hours?

Lena:

Yeah. Because this is where it gets well, Brent uses the word slippery where time can just sort of disappear.

Reed:

The disappearing hours.

Lena:

Exactly. We know the usual suspects. Right? Brent points them out. The endless scroll on social media, mindless TV watching, maybe just having noise in the background that doesn't really add anything.

Reed:

The easy defaults. Low effort consumption.

Lena:

Right. And it's not that they're inherently bad.

Reed:

No. Sometimes you need that downtime.

Lena:

But Brent's point is how easily a quick check turns into an hour or more that you just lose track of.

Reed:

Yeah. He describes it vividly. It just slips away. And the danger isn't just the time lost in that moment. It's the cumulative effect.

Reed:

These defaults slowly push out time you could have spent on something more energizing, or creative, or connecting with people.

Lena:

It's that opportunity cost again. What are you not doing because you defaulted to the scroll?

Reed:

Precisely. It crowds out the meaningful stuff, often without you even noticing it's happening.

Lena:

So take a second, maybe reflect. Where do your slippery hours go? Is there a default activity that maybe doesn't give much back?

Reed:

It's a worthwhile question to ask yourself.

Lena:

So given this tendency for time to slip away, what's the solution Brent offers in his note?

Reed:

It's actually quite simple, deceptively so. He suggests simple time audit.

Lena:

An audit sounds intense. Spreadsheets, apps.

Reed:

No. No. That's the key. He specifically says no spreadsheets, no apps, no guilt.

Lena:

Okay. I like the sound of that.

Reed:

It's more about just paying attention for a few days, asking yourself some basic questions like where is my time going and maybe more importantly do I enjoy how I'm spending it?

Lena:

And crucially, does it align with what I actually value?

Reed:

Exactly. It's a qualitative check-in, not rigid tracking. Aligning actions with intentions.

Lena:

Brent even shares his own experience doing this, which quite relatable. He found his sleep was okay. Eating and exercise were pretty solid, foundational. The basics recovered.

Reed:

But he noticed he was working more than he thought. You know, those early starts, checking emails late, it adds up fast.

Lena:

That creep of work hours. Yeah. Very common.

Reed:

But the biggest one for him, the one that really snuck up was social media.

Lena:

The main culprit from before.

Reed:

Right. Starts as a quick look and suddenly, an hour or more has vanished, barely remembers scrolling. Why do you think that particular activity is so sticky based on Brent's insights?

Lena:

Well, he touches on how it's designed to be sticky. The infinite scroll, the variable rewards, it hooks our brains. It's super low friction. Always there, easy to access, doesn't demand much effort. It's the path of least resistance when you have an unstructured moment.

Reed:

But the real cost, as Brent highlights, is what that hour displaces. It's an hour not spent reading or planning something fun or talking to someone you care about or even just sitting quietly. It quietly erodes the space for things that might actually bring more meaning or energy.

Lena:

That contrast is powerful. The passive consumption versus active engagement or creation.

Reed:

It really frames the choice clearly.

Lena:

Which brings us sort of full circle to the real opportunity Brent talks about in your eight thousand seven hundred and sixty hours. Time is finite. We can't magic up more hours. That's the reality.

Reed:

Can argue with the math.

Lena:

But the power we do have, and this is Brent's core message, I think, is deciding how we use the hours we've got.

Reed:

That's the agency we have. And the goal isn't some radical life overhaul or tracking every minute obsessively. Brent really emphasizes it's not about perfection, it's about intentionality.

Lena:

Just checking in sometimes.

Reed:

Exactly. Just checking in, asking, is how I'm spending my time aligning with what matters to me? Does it bring joy or energy or curiosity? That awareness, that conscious choice, even in small ways, makes a huge difference over time.

Lena:

So the advice seems pretty clear. If an activity is genuinely fulfilling for you, brings joy, energy, makes you curious, great. Keep doing it. Lean in.

Reed:

Absolutely celebrate that.

Lena:

But if you notice hours slipping away on things that leave you feeling drained or unfulfilled

Reed:

Then maybe it's time for a little shift.

Lena:

Yeah. Maybe adjust the routine slightly. Small changes can compound.

Reed:

It's about reclaiming those moments for things that truly resonate.

Lena:

So you've got these finite hours every day, yours to spend. The question isn't how to get more. The real question Brent leaves us with is how do you wanna spend them?

Reed:

A powerful question to ponder.

Lena:

Thanks for listening. Until next time.

Andy:

That's it for this week's episode of Rivr Conversations. Speaking on behalf of Brent and myself, big thanks to our expert Rivr Guides for another thoughtful discussion. We always appreciate the unique perspectives they bring to these conversations. To close out each Rivr Conversation, I like to describe the photo featured in the Rivr Notes newsletter. It's not just a stock image it comes from a real adventure.

Andy:

After all, the best ideas often come from staying curious, embracing new perspectives and engaging with the world around us. This week's photo was taken in a hidden canyon deep in the Desert Southwest, a place that feels both ancient and otherworldly. Towering red rock walls rise like cathedrals on either side, weathered by time and sculpted by centuries of wind and water. In the center, a massive stone slab stretches impossibly between the cliffs, suspended overhead like a natural bridge, a moment of geologic balance frozen in mid air. Below, a patch of green trees pushes up through the dry canyon floor, catching the morning light.

Andy:

Their color stands out boldly against the warm reds and shadowed stone, a quiet act of resilience in the middle of this vast open stillness. You can almost feel the dry heat of the rock, the cool air in the shade and the silence, broken only by the soft rustle of leaves or the crunch of gravel beneath your feet. It's the kind of place that humbles you, that reminds you of time's scale, and how we choose to spend our brief moment inside of it. If you'd like to read the full Rivr Notes article, including all the amazing photographs, you can find it at OnRivr.com. That's Rivr without an e.

Andy:

And be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts so you never miss a conversation. Before we go, a quick reminder: The opinions and viewpoints expressed in this podcast are solely those of the presenters and our AI companions, sharing personal reflections and perspectives. We're not legal experts, medical professionals, or therapists. This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only, so please consult the appropriate professionals when you need advice or support. Thanks again for listening.

Andy:

Rivr Conversations is an OnRivr, LLC production.