Time is such a precious commodity in our life and yet we never seem to have enough time in our day. So many times it seems like we show up at work and the next thing we know the day is over and we wonder why we didn’t accomplish many of the things we intended to get done.
Here is a quote that I really love that speaks to the issue of time,
“If time be of all things most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality, since lost time is never found again”
– Ben Franklin
That quote really sums up the answer to the issue of not having enough time. You see, we all get the same amount of time.
Time is the great equalizer.
No matter how important or rich or famous you are you still get the same amount of time as everyone else on earth. We each get 1,440 minutes per day, 10,080 minutes per week and 525,600 minutes per year! I’m sorry to say that not I or anyone else can get more time for you. It’s not how much time we get, since we all get the same amount, it’s how we use the time that matters. Time management is a misnomer. We cannot manage time, the best we can do is develop the skill to not let time manage us.
The way to do this is to learn priority management. It is the priorities that you set in your life that dictate how your precious time will be spent. The first step must be to set the vision and goals you have for your life! When something or someone is trying to take your time you must ask yourself, “Does this help me move closer to my goals and my vision?” If the answer is yes, then you should invest the time to it and do it with passion and purpose. If the answer is no then don’t do it. It really is that simple.
Notice that I used the term ‘invest’ instead of ‘spend’ your time above. It is important to recognize the difference between these. Normally when we talk about time we use the consumption term ‘spend’ when we should be talking in terms of ‘investing’ our time, meaning that we are getting a payback when we do something.
The payback may be as simple as making your family happy or improving your health. It may be improving your knowledge, or increasing the profits of your business. Time must repay you by getting you closer to your ultimate dream of success. Otherwise, if you just spend your time you will never get that time back and will find yourself getting no closer to where you want to be.
It is completely up to you how to invest your time, but let me give you this advice.
Be absolutely BRUTAL with your time!
It’s your life and your time. Don’t let time manage you and don’t chase after everyone else’s priorities. Keep your definition of success, your vision of your future and your goals in a place you can review them often and make sure you are staying focused with how you invest your time.
You must be brutal in how you ration out your time because no one else will do it for you. Take control of your priority management and you will be amazed at how much progress you will make toward fulfilling your life mission!
About ActionCOACH
Brad Sugars founded the brand Action International in 1993 when he realized there was a disconnect between business advice and implementation. The answer was Action! Brad Sugars created a business coaching company so that business owners throughout the world can realize their goals in business. Today the company is known as ActionCOACH. To learn more about business, visit Brad Sugars Review blog!