the design of mitime

Standard Mitime is based on a very simple and abstract recursive algorithm, division by quarters all the way down to the exit case: non-productive time. By its nature, mitime expresses the golden ratio throughout its application to standard time.

Instead of focussing on highly precise reference-able points in time, mitime focusses on broader chunks of time simply organized that can more naturally represent meaningful human effort. To maximize utility, efficiency, and to still be maximally compatible with standard time measurements, a minimal approach with a lower degree of precision was the logical approach. Removing unnecessary precision simplifies mitime for more efficient understanding and application.

The abstract nature of mitime frees us from potentially limiting cultural norms about the structure of time—consider how a typical work day is described as “9 to 5”—and allows for the creation of more utilitarian semantics to create structures that better optimize how we use time to achieve our goals.