If you’re like me, you’ve already noticed that time flies … sometimes! Especially when you put so many things on your to-do list, it feels like the hours are shrinking and you cannot do as much as you’d like to.
A couple of years ago I started to play with time, approaching it from different perspectives:
1. There’s not enough time to get the results I want unless I set due dates and stick with them.
So I put many actions on my daily agenda and focused on finishing them until the end of each day. Well, what I’ve considered the end of the day! 🙂
The result? I was quite in time with my daily actions at the beginning, although I was often going to bed very late at night. Soon the fatigue caught up, and I even had days when I couldn’t do anything since I was too tired or lacked focus. Which actually slowed me down overall!
If this is happening to you too, isn’t this the right moment to reconsider the actions you want to take, before even taking them?
2: Set my agenda for the day, and do as much as I can until the (self-imposed) sleep time kicks in. Tomorrow is another day, isn’t it?!
This worked much better! I was able to wake up early in the morning, relaxed, with great ideas in mind (aligned with my plans)! It was like a magical power telling me what to do. It also helped my productivity, doing more in the same amount of time … even taking breaks in between! And what I loved most: it felt more natural than a “have to” list … which gave me more energy and motivation to continue! 🙂
3. Time is … relative!
I was not thinking of the Einstein’s Theory of Relativity when I start experiencing with this perspective. 🙂 It’s more about how to leverage the time to get more done. After all, successful people have the same amount of time at their disposal as anyone else.
Putting things in perspective and prioritizing are part of this perspective. It’s not about the number of actions we think we need to do in a day, it’s more about which ones are more relevant to what we want to achieve. We can easily create a long list of to-do tasks, but if they don’t take in considerating the 80/20 Pareto Principle* … we’ll actually spend our time instead of investing it in our own future! Combined with the second perspective, this became even more powerful!
4. The environment affects time?
Well, maybe not directly… but it does affect what we can achieve within a set amount of time. A positive and supportive environment boosts our energy and we can do more in the same time frame.
For entrepreneurs and those who are willing to achieve more in their lives: those around you who don’t want (or don’t have the courage) to do the same might not understand why you want to be more selective than before. But hey… they’re not growing your business or achieve something on your behalf! That’s your part!
More time you spend with those who don’t understand, less energy and time you’ll have to advance or your path. So the environment (including the physical one) does affect how fast you move forward. I know it affects me!
Plus, there is a difference between the mindset of an employee and that of a successful business owner. Yes, it takes time to understand and adjust from one mindset to another… because the values are different (and it’s not only about money)! If you expect all the people you already know to support you on your (new) path, you might be in for a big surprise. But you can always find like-minded people and those who are ahead of you, to maintain a supportive environment around you … and that’s your part as well! 🙂
So, are you spending or investing your time?
What’s your perspective on time?
Gabriela
*The Pareto principle (also known as the 80/20 rule) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Richard Koch authored several books based on this principle, which illustrated some practical applications of the Pareto principle in business management and life.