Expanding Time

One of the great realities of life and business is the finite access to our most valuable resource:  time.  Time is the only resource that can never be recovered or replenished.  Each moment of each and every day is precious and unique, a moment that will never come again, and for that, a true treasure in its rarity.  Yet, because there are moments after moments we tend to treat them casually, to allow them to slip by without a clear thought or choice about how we are investing that moment and then, as entrepreneurs and business owners we discover that we are overwhelmed, buried, swamped by the burden of things for us to do, plan, think about . . . and we wonder, where will I ever find the time to get it all done?

The first step in finding the time we need to achieve our goal is to candidly look at where we are spending our time.   I love Dan Kennedy’s definition of productive:  “Time, talent, resources and energy invested in moving directly and measurably toward your most meaningful goals.”  When you actively observe your day, how productive are you really? I know I, at least, often allow myself to wander into e-mail oblivion, or to change my objectives based on “something that came up today.”  First things first, are you creating a dedicated space in your day to be completely productive?  Once we have that piece in place, planning and successfully delegating non-productive tasks profitably becomes possible.