How Important is YOUR Time?
“Remember that time IS money.”
-Benjamin Franklin
“We must use time as a tool, not as a crutch.”
-John Fitzgerald Kennedy
One thing I believe you will agree with me on is that “time” is one of your most valuable assets. That being the case, it stands to reason that it should be used wisely. I was recently asked how a couple of my more successful clients plan and organize their time. I will have this discussion with them, but in the interim I would like to know what your method is.
Please Comment:
Some people seem to get more done in the same 24 hours that everyone gets. The time goes by whether you are using it wisely or wasting it. Time spent doing something you truly enjoy is never a waste. Perhaps one of the differences between successful people and others is that they enjoy doing the things that lead to their success.
I once read a book entitled “The Game of Work” by Charles Coonradt, and it made a big difference in my own success. “Games” are seldom seen as “work” so making work a “game” makes it easier to do.
November 15th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
When you charge by the hour, time isn’t just your most important asset, but its also the most concrete metric in measuring your success. I try to think of my time as another variable that helps me to build out my workflow. It’s no more a boundary to my success than the building I work in everyday.
If I find myself longing for the outdoors, I’ll go finish my days work outside. If I’m running out of time on a project, I’ll rethink my workflow accordingly. Managing time is all about being able to adapt to changes. And if you love what your doing, that makes your adaptation skills borderline instinctual.
November 16th, 2010 at 8:41 am
Yes, time does go by, but I don’t see it tied to money. I know many people that spend a lot of time chasing money, but they don’t have any. Luck is the biggest factor when it comes to having money. Some people just have more luck, like those born into a rich family. The rest of us just work to get by. That’s the way it is.
November 16th, 2010 at 9:35 am
Ron, i really loved your comment about making your work a game. I never thought of it so deeply, but looking at my attitude towards “work”, i totally make it a game. The downfall though is sometimes i tell myself not to be so concerned that i could have accomplished a lot more, you had 2 or so phone conversations with clients that could be hugely successful, and most of the time, that is not really the case. Nonetheless, I enjoy “work” so much more than if i were to sit around counting my money and chase clients like a rabid dog. I think that combining your suggestion to make work a game, and also to take action and get stuff done now instead of spinning things in your mind too much is a killer combination. You have helped me more than you will ever know with that one recommendation. Now i need to be a better time manager, and do a little more follow up. I tend to let people “walk” a bit too easily. Nothing wrong with following up on people who have not “pulled the trigger” with care and a helpful attitude. Thanks Ron!
November 16th, 2010 at 9:47 am
Interesting discussion here. Ron and Vidsolve seem to have things figured out while Reality Check is still in dreamland. If it were luck, everyone would get some occasionally. As a salesperson I have learned that it’s more a matter of focus and priorities. Focusing on what I am doing and arranging my priorities so as not to waste my time on meaningless or less important things.
Mastering your time is, and always has been the answer to more success and getting more done.