Business Coaching Tip #11

Is TIME an issue for you?

Do you have enough time to do all things you love to do?

Do you spend your time or do you invest it?

Time is an issue that most all us have had to deal with at one time or another. We all have the same amount of time at our disposal; each of us has 24 hours in a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks and 364 days a year, no more, no less!

How is it then, that some have the time to do what they love and others never have the time to get anything done much less have the time to enjoy doing what they love to do?

I used to spend a lot of my time running around in circles like “a chicken with it’s head cut off” and found that in hind sight, I wasted so much of my valuable time! I didn’t really get it until I heard a coaching speaker talk about the difference between “spending” time as opposed to “investing” time. Aha! So there you have it, I was “spending all of my time” instead of “investing” it! Once it’s gone, it’s gone! You won’t get it back! Well, I can happily tell you, that this chick has changed her thoughts and habits and… my head is now fully attached!

Let’s look at how you can invest your time wisely.

First, think about how you feel and talk about your time. Do you say things like “there’s not enough hours in the day”, “I don’t have time for….” Or “I never have any time…” Do you say “I don’t have time for that” or do you say “I don’t want to invest the time on this now” Remember thoughts become things! How you think and feel about time has a big impact on how you waste, spend or invest your time!

Second, make an effort to write down how you spend your time for a typical 24-hour period. Believe me, it will be worth the effort! If you already keep an agenda (in a day timer or other organizer) of your day it will be easy to write in the time you spend on each task. If not, you can write out each waking hour on a piece of paper and at the end of each hour during the day write down what you spent and/or invested your time on. At the end of the day before you retire to your bed, calculate all the time into categories like; sleep, work, play, family quality time, travel, domestic (eating, grooming, cleaning, cooking, homework assistance, etc), relaxation and wasted time. Then add it all up to make sure you have the whole 24-hour period. This will give you a birds-eye view of HOW you spent your time. Now, take a look at the total hours spent on each category and determine where you could invest your time more wisely by eliminating, delegating or hiring a professional.

Third, look at the time you spend on your business or work and come up with some creative ideas to save you time and money. Do the same with your personal and family time. By incorporating one task with another, using automation for tasks where applicable, hiring help or delegating certain tasks to others you will free up some time to invest elsewhere. Don’t forget to delegate stuff to the kids, pay them for their time, and use the expense as a write off (where applicable, if you haven't already, email me for the list of tax savings).

The most important thing is to stop spending time and start investing it!

My wish for you is to happily enjoy every precious moment of your life.

Living my dream,
Tina Faith, C.C.O.
Business Services, Consulting, Coaching and Accounting