Don’t Laugh, Time is Really on Your Side!

When coming up with ideas on which business topic to cover for SMARTY’s Peer to Peer program, I was so excited about the chance to teach to this community that there were many ideas that came to mind: blogging, creating a powerful business vision, coming up with info products, and on and on. Remabulous is a place that loves new ideas, so there were a lot to play with.

But then I sat and thought about what each of my clients needs support with the most, and which challenge, if handled well, could give us the most benefit as business owners.

So there it was: time.

All of us struggle with it, wrestle it, waste it, love it, and hate it.

And no matter what we do with our days, they end on us before we are ready.

So… what can we do with this precious resource to make it a source of joy, rather than torment?

Spend it wisely.

Let me explain what I mean:

Most of us have a decent handle on where our money is coming from and where it is going as business owners. Whether we do our own bookkeeping or have someone else working along side us, we know in a general way if we are in the black or in the red, right? I am not talking about every little penny being accounted for, although I know there are those of us who rise to that level of awareness.

I suspect that we do not have the same level of awareness about our time. It slips and slides away from us when we need it most, and it seems to drag on forever when we are stuck with it, like during that awful wait at the DMV.

So how can we shift this relationship? Since we have the expression “time is money,” why not treat it as such?

Most of us spend far more time on busywork than we realize and both we and our businesses suffer for it. So, as a shift, I recommend making a list of how your spend your time for an entire week. The more specific you get the better… down to at least 30 minute increments- 15 is ideal, and if you really want to go for the gusto, even include 5 minute tasks as well.

This doesn’t need to be a burden- just keep a pad by your computer (let’s face it, that is where we are most of the time, isn’t it?) and track what you do there: email, surfing, research, blogging, etc. and when you get up from the desk, bring the pad with you and note what you do.

That’s your whole assignment for a week.

Then, once you have your list, let’s take a look at it. Go through these tasks and ask yourself for each one: “Was this an activity that created more prosperity or growth in my business?” Now, some of these tasks will be personal ones- I hope!- like dinner with family, relaxing a little on the weekend, going out with friends. I suspect your being a happy, healthy, well-adjusted person DOES contribute to the success of your business. What we want to find out is where you are working for the sake of staying busy.

One of the great points in Tim Ferris’s book The 4 Hour Work Week is the idea that most of us are terrified of free time. I would wager if you went through your list and took out all the activities that were simple time-wasters and did not contribute to your business success (15-30 minutes on email a couple times a day supports business, 2 hour chunks do not as an example) you’d have a lot more time on your hands.

How do you feel about this?

Don’t feel bad if part of you is scared about open space in your schedule.

Part 2 of your homework is to make a list of fun things to do if you have extra time open up. These should feel like rewards, not extra work you cram in.

Examples: call an out of town friend to say hi for 20 minutes; make a batch of cookies for 30 minutes and get back to work the smell of baking; take a walk.

It may surprise you, but it has come to my attention that most of our procrastination is due not to a fear of having too much to do, but rather a fear of having too little.

Hmmm.

What if we rewarded ourselves for working efficiently with fun, rather than more work?

And what if we had a great list of fun things to do with that time instead of feeling responsibility and dread about it?

Looks like you might start to get time on your side, doesn’t it? Please do share your thoughts in the comments and keep us posted on what you discover.

Caroline Donahue is the founder and owner of Remabulous Coaching, which serves entrepreneurs and business owners through business coaching and training in video marketing. She will be teaching the upcoming Peer to Peer Class on “From Procrastination to Productivity.” To find out more about it, click here.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Peer to Peer programs are intimate micro-workshops facilitated by SMARTY Members and experts in their field. The small-group setting allows attendees to meet in a cozy atmosphere, while finding education and connections on specific topics related to their business development. SMARTY Members attend these workshops free of charge. Guests pay $25 each.