Think You Don’t Have Time to Change Careers or Start a Business? Think Again.

Ep: 10

“The real problem isn’t that you don’t have enough time. It’s that you value other people’s time more than yours.” –Blake (0:33 – 0:42)

Blake Schofield
Connections Illuminated

You have all the time you need to do exactly what you want.

The clock chimes eight o’clock and you haven’t even started your project due tomorrow. Dirty dishes lay in the sink. Your work pants still need to be ironed. Lunches aren’t even packed. Sound familiar? As a mother of three, I understand the chaotic ebb and flow of everyday life. Planners, calendars, and daily schedules are packed full of activities, commitments, and lists. Something always seems to pull you away, beckoning your full attention and steering you further from the direction of your goals and dreams. You’re worn out. You’re stressed. You’re completely overwhelmed. Even if you wanted to, there’s just not enough time in the day to do what you actually want. Or is there?

“Time is one of our most precious commodities. But most of us aren’t using it to our advantage. As a result, our time doesn’t align with our values.” – Blake (00:44 – 00:55)

I’m here to tell you that you have all the time you need to reach your goals and achieve your dreams. You may be shaking your head in protest. But the problem isn’t that you’ve maxed out on time. The problem is that you aren’t effectively valuing and managing the time you have! Everyone has the same number of hours in a day. Yet some use their “lack” of time as an excuse and others find ways to build the life they want. Their big secret? They take control.

Here are five reasons why you may feel so overwhelmed and struggling to gain control of your time:

 

  1. You keep promises with others and not yourself. When something unexpected comes up, stop dropping happy hour with your girlfriend and ditching yoga. Nothing productive will come from you being grumpy and plump! Self-care will allow you to refuel, regroup, and show up as your best self. The next time work offers a new project and you’re debating whether to accept, resist. Repeat out loud, “My time is just as valuable as everyone else.”
  2. You aim for perfection. As a recovering perfectionist, I understand the need to double, triple, and quadruple check your work. But tweaking to perfection is a waste of time and energy. Ever heard of the 80/20 rule? The Pareto Principle is a rule that states 80% of the results are driven by 20% of the work that we do. That means the majority of work you do doesn’t actually move the needle forward! Spend less time tweaking and more time focusing on producing the highest quality of work in that 20% range.
  3. You believe adding structure will restrict you. If you are, or have been, in the corporate world, you might perceive structure as stifling and restrictive. Don’t worry! I’m not implying the kind of structure that involves long meetings fulfilling other’s agendas. I’m talking about the way you choose to organize your time. Experience true freedom in defining and building a framework that ties your time with what you value most, your needs, and priorities.
  4. You lack clarity in prioritizing what’s most important. Staying clear on what’s most important is challenging. To keep yourself in check, ask yourself if you are managing your time based off of your structure or someone else’s? Resist other’s expectations and time tables. As a physical reminder, place your priorities in front of you on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis to ensure you’re spending your time on what really matters.
  5. You lack a consistent process to review, manage, and reflect on whether you are serving or pushing away your goals. When we dig under the surface, my clients and I find they are wasting a minimum of 3 hours a day. That equates to 20 hours a week in lost time! In order to build the life you want, you must stay consistent. Check your daily habits regularly to evaluate whether or not you are using your time to actively pursue your goals.

“Once I actually put structure into my life, that was based on my best way of working and my priorities…it was incredibly freeing.”

– Blake (8:47 – 8:56)

My clients are successful women, just like you. They juggle work responsibilities, personal relationships, motherly duties, and themselves. Though unique in their own situations they all came to me exhausted, frustrated, and overwhelmed. They all believed they didn’t have enough time to do what they really wanted. But they were wrong. Perhaps you are too?

Think of what you could manifest in an extra twenty hours throughout the week. You could change careers. You could start your own business. You could do whatever your heart desires! Not only is it possible, but it’s also probable. This week take control and look for the ways you can maximize your time using the five reasons above as a guide. Put together a calendar that blocks out your daily schedule hour by hour. Aim to reduce any unnecessary work by remembering time perfecting is time wasting. Lastly, keep the promises you make to yourself and fill your cup. For further guidance read The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan.

Are you still twiddling your thumbs? What are you waiting for? Take control and spring into action. You have all the time you need to achieve your dreams!

 


Rather than hoping the grass will be greener, identify what the RIGHT next step is

We can help you do just that.

Get clarity on where you are on your journey to career fulfillment, where you’re headed, optional paths to get there, and the right next step to take.

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