Do you ever feel like there’s just not enough time for everything? But if you think about it, we all have the same 24 hours in a day. The difference is that some of us know how to use our hours and others have yet to read this post.
Go on an Information Diet
Did you hear? They’ve just uncovered a piece of ancient pottery in Greece! Oh my gosh! But it has absolutely nothing to do with your life so who cares?! Go on an information diet. Only absorb information that will actually help advance your life. This usually means cutting out 99.9% of news, weather, gossip, everything that diverts your attention away from your goals.
An information diet feels fantastic. Everything is less complicated when you narrow your scope. Just try it. I used to enjoy the news, etc. but after going on an information diet – life has gotten exponentially better. If anything really important happens, trust me, you’ll be made aware.
Go on a Real Diet – and a Run
It’s trite but proper nutrition and exercise goes a long way. Slowly ease your way into eating healthy and exercising often. Drink plenty of water as well. A few years ago, I started drinking about half my body weight (in ounces) per day. My energy levels have skyrocketed. If I’m ever without water, my productivity slips noticeably. That’s why if we ever meet in real life, you’ll always see me with a water bottle.
Learn to Outsource
You don’t have to do everything yourself. Outsource plenty. Think about it. You already outsource lots of things: clothing, food, transportation. Now outsource more.
Focus on High Value Work
Do you know why the CEO doesn’t take out the trash? It’s because his time is better spent focusing on what he’s best at doing. Everyone should know what they should be doing and what they should not be doing. What do you do that brings the business the most income? Focus on that. You can be horrible at everything else but if you’re good at what’s important, none of that other stuff matters.
Learn to Say ‘No’
I know one CEO who writes ‘No’ at the top of each day in his planner. This is to remind himself that he needs to say ‘no’ to more. I know it feels good to help people and accept responsibilities. But you can only carry so much yourself. Here’s what I do. Instead of saying ‘yes’, I will sometimes help connect the person with someone else who is qualified. This way, you get to help out but you don’t have another large responsibility.
Avoid a Commute
Until we get autopilot on all cars, commutes are a waste of time. Think about it. When you commute, you’re actually doing nothing. Unless you’re listening to audio books about business, life, etc. – those are high value. But for the most part, commuting is a waste. Find out if you can work from home or from a coworking space that’s close to home.
Plan out All 24 Hours
Have you done all of the above but you still find yourself pressed for time? Do what I’ve done. Account for every single hour in the day. What will probably happen is you’ll realize there are a few chunks of underutilized time. For me, I realized I could never account for what I did between the hours of 7-9 in the evenings. I later determined I was just wasting those hours on completely frivolous (and not that fun) tasks. I rejigged my plan and now I utilize just about 24 hours of my day.
We Have Plenty of Time
People who squander time and the ones who are most likely to say we don’t have enough.
Life is long enough when life is well spent.
I believe that if we are willing to use our time wisely, we will accomplish everything we desire in business and life.
