How often do you ‘blame’ time, for not getting what you want? I hear it all the time:
- “There’s not enough time in a day”
- “Time is working against me”
- “In other times I would …..”
- “These are difficult times”
- “This is not the right time to…..”
It’s as if time is mistreating us, not doing what it is supposed to do. But time is just time. There has never been more time or less time - ever. It’s our own mindset around time that often causes us issues with time and time management.
I recently worked with a client who said she was having trouble with time management. She really wanted her business to grow, and she had a list of things on her mind that she knew she should start. Yet, she didn’t get anything done. Even with some help in setting priorities, rearranging her daily schedule, stricter planning and organization, she made no progress. So it was ‘time’ to take it a few levels deeper and that’s where she had an epiphany – more than one!
What were the REAL things that stopped her from moving forward?
1. Lack of intention – meaning her goals were not clear. Often times we are not specific enough about what our goals really look like.
If you don’t know where you’re going, ANY road will take you there!
So we painted in all the different colours of her vision, not just the outlines, but all the dots, lines, commas, numbers, names and dates. All of it. Clear goals help us to be intentional.
2. Fear of Failure (big time!) – Deep down, she doubted she had what it takes to pull this off. The little voices that went: “I can’t do this”, “I’m not good enough”, “I don’t have enough experience”, “I’m not smart enough.” All the limiting beliefs and stories we all have that try to keep us small, keep us safe and keep going around in our heads like a broken record. While there may be a lot hidden under these limiting beliefs which certainly requires attention – the short version is: FAILURE doesn’t exist! Success comes with failing. Failure is part of success. Because it gives us clues about what works, what doesn’t work, what else to try, what other options are available. Failure is pure LEARNING, pure GROWTH! It’s valuable!
3. Fear of Success – Strange as it may sound, somehow my client was held back by the scenario of success when she achieved her goals. What came up were thoughts like: “What then?” “What’s next?” “Success means my life will start to look different, success can mean I lose certain relationships, maybe I lose part of my freedom.” Some people think that success comes with tasks and obligations that they don’t feel ready to take on. Success comes with pressure and tension. All of these assumptions will stop us from succeeding in the first place.
But really, how true are these assumptions? And if they seem realistic enough, what measures can we put in place if things start to shift or get too busy? How can we ensure that we recognise early signs of overwhelm and stress? What actions can we take to ensure that we can quickly reduce those feelings?
4. Don’t know HOW – this is a common reason why people don’t even get to the starting line of their road to achieve their goals. Some goals seem so big and audacious that we keep walking around the mountain but don’t start climbing it.
Start chopping the goal into smaller pieces. If you know where you want to be in 12 months, what needs to be done in 6 months, what actions to take in 3 months, in 1 month, next week, TODAY? Break the final goal down in smaller goals that seem very reasonable and attainable and that you believe you can achieve.
Time is never to blame for something not working in our life. Successful people and those struggling to get something done, they both have access to the exact same number of hours per day. It’s your MINDSET around time that might be holding you back.
Time is ALWAYS on your side.
So now is as good a time as always to start create your goals!
