Bottom Line
By Michael Gunther
Did you say “time?” I would imagine so. I used that same answer until I had an interesting insight around the goals I wanted to achieve.
We all have the same 24 hours in a day and how we spend those hours determines if we have the time to do the things we want to do.
This insight brought back a memory of a boss I had many years ago, who told me he would often give additional tasks to people he knew were the busiest people. The busiest people tend to be the most productive. They understand they have limited time so they don’t procrastinate or do activities that aren’t meaningful to them and their desired goals.
This perplexed me at first until I saw it unfold for myself and I was reminded of this concept again this year.
The other day I realized how productive I have been and asked myself, what was going on? I started my PhD program six months ago. My team is growing our business by 40%. I’m reading one business book per month with our Relentless Learners Club, planning for upcoming vacations, and finding time for family and friends.
Have I entered a new level of functionality and drive? Yes, it seems. I can’t afford to waste time on “thinking” about doing something. I just act and get things done.
It is not always easy or smooth. I am continually adjusting what I am doing with my time along with finding better ways of doing things. It has taken time to balance school, work and life to get into a flow.
There have been moments of stress, like when I wrote a paper on the wrong chapter for school and had to stay up into the wee hours of the morning to write the correct paper.
I must admit that I have been questioning what I was doing with my time before? I felt busy and couldn’t imagine fitting graduate school or anything else into my schedule.
Throughout all of this, I have come to appreciate my mom even more. She raised 17 kids while being a team mother for our sports teams (sometimes three teams at a time), maintaining hobbies like tennis and stained glass, having time for travel and volunteer work, giving one-on-one time to each kid, plus having time for her friends and herself. Maybe the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
When you remove your “perceived” mental barriers from the equation in pursuing your dreams, you’ll be amazed by the new ways you learn to operate. These new routines become part of the fabric of your life. The motivation and passion for what you want only grows as you begin making movement towards your goals.
Bottom Line
Don’t use “time” as an excuse for not doing the things you want in your life. You are never going to get any time back, but you can change the ways you are using your time. You will be surprised when you jump 2 feet forward into your goals, and find the time to generate all the things you want in your life.
This is another article in a series on Michael Gunther’s entrepreneurial story and how being raised in a large family and his belief in creating a growth company with a work-to-live mentality has influenced his career. To read previous articles in this series, see his blog at: www.Collaboration-llc.com.
Michael Gunther is Founder and President of Collaboration LLC, a team of highly skilled business professionals who are dedicated to assisting proactive business owners to build profitable, sustainable businesses through results-oriented education and consulting services. Learn more at www.Collaboration-llc.com. Michael Gunther’s column is a regular feature of Tolosa Press.
