Time has been on my mind a lot.
As I spoke of in this post, my schedule went through a radical 180 this Fall and I feel like I’m just now settling in. As a client and friend said last week, “I was so happy to turn the page to October.” I couldn’t agree more.
As I’ve been navigating my new schedule, I’ve been acutely aware of time – the time I have, the time I don’t have and everything in between. I use the word “bandwidth” a lot. I use the word “capacity” a lot. I look at my planning calendar A LOT!
I ask myself where I can fit X in, or whether Y still works, and if I could possibly squeeze in a little Z too (and no, not the sleeping kind of ZZZZ). I ask myself where my time leaks are. I plan out my launches. I strategize. And in my gremlin moments, I sometimes wonder if I can really do it.
But here’s the truth of it all.
I won’t make time for what matters until I do.
Isn’t that really the bottom line?
Yes, there are some real truths about my schedule – just like I’m sure there are in yours too. Kids to pick up, client projects to complete, birthdays, weddings, conferences, and more — all things that contribute to the busyness burden of business.
And I’m not really interested in saying yes to 500 things just because I want them all yesterday. I want to have a life. I want to take Sundays off from technology. I want to pick my kids up from school and hear their cute little stories about what happened.
So, I’d never advocate, nor practice, a “make it all work – now” philosophy to business. Note: full admission – I totally used to. In my pre-kids, pre-married, pre-entrepreneurial days, I said yes to EVERYTHING and honestly, I would look at others that said no to cool opportunities and quietly wonder why on earth they’d turn them down. Now I get it.
I believe there are times to go all in – to turn up the volume on your output and do what it takes to see an opportunity go from idea to execution. I also believe that there are times to go small – when baby steps are the best way forward.
So yes – I believe in all of that.
AND…
I also know that many, many of you reading this are not actually getting to the work that matters most – period. You’ve been avoiding / procrastinating / resisting putting your bum in the seat and actually making progress on the projects, ideas or opportunities that could truly change the landscape of your business for the better.
There are many reasons why you haven’t – from fear, doubt and lack of clarity, but the biggest reason is the most obvious one too. You haven’t declared it as a priority, and made the time for it to take flight. Great things do not blossom and grow just because you’ve got them down in a notebook (trust me…).
You won’t find the time, until you do.
I’m making the time.
I’m making the time to F.O.C.U.S. (follow one course until successful) on my three most important strategic priorities for the next 90 days:
- Launch my Beyond PRO Podcast
- Create My PRO Plan
- Re-launch the Beyond PRO Leadership Program (coming February 2015)
And of course, that also includes serving my awesome clients, enrolling three more in my brand-spanking new private coaching offer (more on that next week), and speaking at three upcoming events and conferences.
I reviewed my plans again and again to be sure that they did fit my capacity (there’s that word again) and would leave me time to be with my kids and husband. I bumped things around and made sure I had the space to roll everything out without leaving me without sleep or sanity.
I’ve got the plan, and now I’ll be using my 5am wake-ups in service of these three strategic priorities. And anything else that lands on my plate will get measured against whether they support or detract from executing on those priorities.
Time can feel complicated and like there’s never going to be enough. I certainly felt like that in September.
But what I also know is all the time we spend thinking about the lack of time we have could be put to something way more useful – committing to and actioning those things that are most important to our personal and professional potential.
You won’t make time until you do.
What are you willing to make time for? Share with me in the comments below.
P.S. Next week I’ll be sharing a new way to work with me privately — if this posted resonated, you’ll love what I’ve created for you.
