Twenty Minutes is the New Hour with Fran Hauser — Part 1

What if some of your productivity habits are actually wasting your time? In this episode of Time Billionaires, Rebecca Shaddix speaks with Fran Hauser, author of The Myth of the Nice Girl and the forthcoming book Twenty Minutes Is the New Hour. Fran is a former Fortune 500 executive, startup investor and advisor, and owner of Bedford Books. Fran explains how four common habits—people-pleasing, perfectionism, procrastination, and padding—can drain your time and lead to burnout. She also shares how a 20-minute mindset can improve focus, reduce overwhelm, and help you make meaningful progress. Not all procrastination is harmful. A short, intentional thinking break can support creative problem-solving and lead to better ideas. The greater time costs often come from overplanning, adding extra time to tasks, and waiting for perfect conditions. Rebecca and Fran also discuss how to take messy action, manage your inner critic, build confidence, and shorten meetings and work blocks. These practical time-management strategies can help you protect your energy and focus on the work that matters most. What You’ll Learn: - How to tell the difference between productive thinking time and avoidance - Why messy action is often more effective than waiting for perfect conditions - How to manage self-criticism and build internal confidence - Why 20-minute meetings and work blocks can improve focus and productivity - How people-pleasing, perfectionism, and padding waste valuable time - Why scheduling time to worry can help reduce stress and prevent burnout - How to question long-standing habits and create a more efficient schedule If you struggle with procrastination, perfectionism, people-pleasing, long meetings, or an endless to-do list, this episode offers practical ways to reclaim your time. Listen to learn how small changes can help you work with greater focus, protect your energy, and make progress without burning out. **Timestamps** 00:01:10 — Productive thinking time versus avoidance procrastination 00:06:34 — Overcoming perfectionism through messy action 00:10:05 — Building confidence and managing your inner critic 00:14:34 — Using the 20-minute mindset for meetings and projects 00:18:31 — Identifying padding as a hidden time thief **Connect with Fran** Website: https://www.franhauser.com/twentyminutes  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franhauser Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fran\_hauser/ For more insight on making the most out of the small moments in your day, follow Rebecca and the Time Billionaires Podcast on LinkedIn. And if you liked the show, subscribe to follow it. ### Chapters - (00:00:00) - Intro: Time Billionaires and Guest Fran Hauser - (00:01:47) - The Four Time Thieves: Procrastination and Perfectionism - (00:03:53) - Precrastinating and the Illusion of Control - (00:06:23) - Internal Psychological Safety - (00:08:41) - Proportional Effort vs Perfectionism - (00:10:07) - The 20 Minute Mindset - (00:12:02) - Optimizing Time and Acceptable Misses - (00:13:34) - Padding: The Fourth P and the Bookstore Story - (00:15:58) - Closing Thoughts and Pareto Principle