Time is your most precious resource.
Time is one thing we all have that’s not replaceable. We can’t slow it down, stop it, get it back or create more. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.
Each life lasts a different amount of time, and none of us know exactly how much time we will get. Some people race to the finish line leaving a trail of accomplishments, and some find themselves at the end of their life never having discovered their purpose. Some say it goes too slow, while others feel it races by faster each year. Some people waste it, and some savour it.
So how much time do we actually have?
In every week there are:
168 hours
10,080 minutes
604,800 seconds
On average we each have around 4,000 weeks to live.
How you use your time is the main determinant of your success (whatever success means to you).
So if we all have the same number of seconds, minutes, and hours in each day, why do we spend them differently?
Why do some people end up with accomplishments and wealth beyond measure, and others find themselves chasing every dollar?
Why do some write 60 books in their career, and others pass away with an unfinished manuscript?
There are certainly many things in life we can’t control. While we can do our best to maintain our health and safety, accidents and illness happen.
But when it comes to what we have influence and control over, we spend our time according to our values.
If you value family above all else, a large part of your time may be devoted to family activities. You may choose to work fewer hours so you can spend more time with your children, or direct your finances into shared experiences rather than creating long-term wealth.
If you value health above all else, you may prioritise healthy home-cooked meals over dining out, and exercise over other activities.
If you value wealth, you may invest time in education, work, your business, and professional growth.
Simply put, we make time for what’s important to us. There is no right or wrong when it comes to values, just choices and consequences. There is nothing good or bad about prioritising wealth over family, or leisure over business. But each choice you make will get you a different result.
So what if you want a different result from what you’ve been getting? Perhaps your business isn’t performing as well as you want it to, or you are concerned you won’t have enough money in retirement. Perhaps your health is not allowing you to do the things you want.
With only so many hours in each day, you may need to forego one thing in order to spend time on another.
Want to increase your fitness? Do one hour of yoga at night instead of watching television. Want to increase your wealth? Attend investment seminars, and read books on wealth creation instead of novels. Want better family relationships? Dedicate one block of time each week to doing something fun together.
A large amount of time, effort and money is spent doing things we don’t want to do. Perhaps we think we ‘should’ do them, or that other people expect us to. Sometimes we might do things that we don’t truly value to impress others (and interestingly, sometimes we don’t even like the people we are trying to impress!)
It’s time we redefined what success means, in business and in life. Success is not about achievement in general, it’s about finding out what you truly care about and spending your most valuable resource – your time – on that.
When working with clients, one of the first and most important things we do is discover their values. Sometimes how they spend their time isn’t in alignment with what’s truly important to them. Sometimes what they think they value isn’t really that important to them after all. Either way, we make sure their time is spent on the right things – those things that will help them achieve what they really want out of life.
Business coaching is not just about tweaking a good business to make it great. It’s also about personal and professional development for the business owner and their team. We want your business to be the vehicle that helps you get all you want out of life.
Are you using your time in the most effective way for you?
Find out how working with Yellow Coaching can help you and your business.