But I don’t have the time!
Have you ever found yourself saying that? I know that I have.
THE STRUGGLE
I’m in the process of developing a 5-week course called YOUR PERSONAL PATH. But I often find that my self-talk keeps me from working on what needs to be done. It’s then, that I need to remind myself that I do indeed have the time! It may be that I haven’t yet set this project as a priority.
You want to do amazing things in your life, don’t you?
- Write a book
- Exercise more
- Build or fix something
- Start a business
- Learn how to play an instrument
But you don’t! Why? Because you might be saying to yourself: “I don’t have the time!”
THE FACTS
Well, that’s kind of a lame excuse. Think about it… You actually have 129 hours per month to do anything you choose! Yes… 129 hours PER MONTH! Do the math…
- You have 168 hours per week.
- Subtract 70 hours for sleep, eating and personal hygiene leaving 98 hours.
- Subtract 50 hours for work and you have 48 hours remaining.
- Subtract 18 hours for errands, travel time, etc and you’re left with 30 hours per week.
- 30 hours a week times 4.3 weeks a month is 129 HOURS!!!
The challenge isn’t that you don’t have time, it’s that you don’t manage it well or you don’t have your priorities in order. The reality is that you DO have the time to do amazing things!
THE ANSWER
So what’s the answer? How can we get over the excuse of a lack of time? Here are some ideas:
- Turn your excuse into a question: Where can I find more time for this goal or project? Then write down 5-10 specific ideas and immediately work on one of them.
- Track your time. At the beginning of the day, do a brief summary of how you spent your time the day before. Identify the time-wasters and any unproductive activities.
- Reshape your self-talk. Replace “I don’t have the time” with “It’s not a priority”! Watch what happens!
What are you thinking right now? How often have you used lack of time as an excuse for not starting or completing a project? What other ideas might you have to help get over this excuse?