Six Secrets to Tame your Time: Secret #4

(<3-minute read time) 

Secret 4: Everything else comes later than you think  

Most people do Secret #4 first and that is exactly why we’re stretched for time.   

Your schedule should be about who you want to be, not what you “have to do”.  I put that in quotes because there is quite literally NOTHING we have to do.  Sure, there may be consequences for not doing something.  Obviously, if I don’t pay my taxes on time I will face penalty fees.  It’s still a choice.  

How we spend our time is always a choice.  

Our goal here is to make sure we are choosing consciously and in a way that propels us towards our potential, towards our dreams.  So, now that you have decided WHO you want to be, we get to work on how to make that a reality.      

What goes here really depends on what you wrote in Secret #2.   Here’s how it works:

1. Look back at who you said you want to be
2. Brainstorm all the actions you may need to do to make your desired future a reality
3. Commit to creating a habit by deciding how often you will do these activities     
4. Put these actions on your calendar  & follow the plan

As a leadership development coach, one of the examples I like to offer here is proactive employee development.  Leaders are often so busy in the day to day of managing we don’t take enough time to connect with team members specifically to learn about their career goals and discover ways we can support them.   It’s a shame because it holds us all back.  Leaders stay overwhelmed trying to do everything and later, there’s no one to take our place when we get promoted.  So, if one of the things you said in Secret #2 was that you wanted to be a successful leader, then consider adding employee development in order to help yourself and others achieve goals.  

Maybe you put something else down for Step #2.  Here’s a chart of examples: 

Who I want to be…..	Actions to take….	Frequency I can commit to
A successful leader	Employee Development	Five hours per week
An amazing spouse	Date night	Once a month
A loving parent	Ask my child about their day, be fully present, engaged, actively listen	Every school/summer camp day
A millionaire	Personal and professional development	Twice a week
A published author	Writing	Three hours a week
A marathon runner	Training time	45-60 minutes three times a week

Your turn.  Identify the specific actions you will take to move you towards the person you want to become.  You might be saying “But wait!!  What about everything else???”  

I hear you!  I get it, I know the groceries are not going to just appear in the fridge, the house is not going to clean itself, and the bills aren’t just going to miraculously get paid.   I promise you, the rest of your To-Do’s in life will fall into their proper perspective using this method.  

We’re building new habits and eventually you’ll gain space and time by being able to do these without effort.  I’ve found most of our “lost” time is the result of wishy-washy decisions.  Strong decisions become commitments which then become habits.  Good habits, like bad ones, bring an element of craving.  We begin to desire them and they become easy.               

At first, it will likely be hard and most of us could use a hand.  If that’s you,  let’s chat, I can definitely help.