“It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.”
-Steve Jobs
Time. It’s something we’re constantly aware of and continually attempt to manage.
We often fall into the common trap of saying that we don’t have enough time.
We are telling ourselves lies about time. None of that is true at all.
Our priorities are ever-changing. What we choose to do is always different and will continue to be so.
How do we take managing our time and apply it to our Work in Progress report?
Time: The One Equalizer for Us All
The only way to create a plan is to start with the facts.
There are six important facts to keep in mind:
- We all have 24 hours in a day – that’s 1,440 minutes per day.
- Time passes at the same rate for everyone, no matter what is happening or what we are doing.
- It is impossible to steal hours from someone else.
- Time cannot be stolen from us.
- We all have free will to decide what we WANT to do and what we DON’T.
- This means we get to choose, with our free will, ANYTHING we want.
What does this mean in terms of how we want to create a strategy for ourselves?
What does this mean as far as making the best strategic decisions to create a plan – with specific expectations or results – that we can achieve because of these facts?
I choose to think that this is the very best news ever:
We all have the same exact amount of time to do things as everyone else. Each of us can actually do whatever we want.
You get to decide: Do you want to create? Consume? Achieve?
If so, what? Health, fitness…creative or professional goals? Or a combination? Or maybe you want to do it all – at some point. There’s not a right or wrong answer.
A friend sums it up best: “You can do it all, you just can’t do it all at the same time.”
What comes first? What comes later? What’s the order of things?
Draw Up Your Time Blueprint
No different than a business plan, your personal plan requires strategy, objectives, deadlines, and directives.
Ask yourself:
What is most important to you? What are the 3 top priorities in this season of your life?
Be specific and outline what is important right now.
What are the priorities on your list at this time? What are your goals and dreams with regard to your priorities? Where do you want to go?
Common categories might include: career, financial, spiritual, physical, intellectual, family and social or relationships.
Be specific. Here are common priorities:
- Health. Choosing a healthier diet to reduce medications or symptoms of an illness
- Lose 25 lbs.
- Create a stronger relationship with your spouse or friends
- Commit to your spiritual practice 5 times per week this year
- Buy your first home or a vacation home
- Earn $100K or even $1 million
The Framework is Done. Now, Gather Your Tools.
- Identify when you would like to achieve your goal and all the things that need to happen
- Identify the obstacles you may encounter
- Create a plan to overcome these
- Map out your plan for this to happen
You now have the clear blueprint, structure, framework, objective, deliverables, and the deadlines involved for the expected results.
This is the “Business Plan” for your life. You now have something that creates momentum and a target!
Executing the Plan: Start Building From Your Blueprint
We are all a Work in Progress. Let’s put our plans into action.
When we have a Work In Progress (an asset that is underway and intended to be put to use and generate revenue in the future), we know that tracking the progress is key to ensuring the plan is successful.
When we run a “red flag report,” what will we see?
- things don’t go as planned
- a stall or pause in progress
- a problem that has caused an unforeseen delay
- a distraction, detour, mistake, or misstep
This is not uncommon. Don’t panic. There’s usually an explanation for what has occurred.
We get the opportunity to become aware of what is occurring and learn from it. Then decide how to proceed.
Can we get back on track easily or must we interject a bigger change in order to ensure we make the adjustments necessary?
Another common red flag: when the time comes to tackle a planned obstacle, we just don’t want to do it.
As a Work in Progress, we are learning that this is normal. Not wanting to do some things is fully expected. When that happens, we decide that our plan is far more important and valuable to us than the comfort of choosing NOT to tackle it. We just need to do it.
No matter what comes up, we have the ability to make determinations logically and strategically for what makes the most sense.
Dealing with Distractions From Your Blueprint & Building Plan
We’re all familiar with Red Flag Delays on Production.
Perhaps something takes longer than expected or planned. Can we make up the time elsewhere or will the plan and timeline need to be adjusted?
Is this a fluke and unlikely to ever happen again? Or do we need to make some adjustments? Learn from this.
The most common red flag you will find is this one:
Something else comes up that tries to pull you away to distract you from your plan.
It’s All About Decisions
This happens all the time. It’s your choice to allow your plan to be derailed. You don’t HAVE to do anything and can make any choice you wish.
It’s your decision to pay attention to that red flag and stay the course or allow the plan to be impacted negatively. Your plan will be impacted in some way.
You choose to make that choice and set some rules for yourself about what is required.
Respect the plan of your life as much as you would your business plan- something that has been created outside of you and requires attention and maintenance for its survival. Make decisions for your life plan that are aligned with your highest priorities and values. Make those decisions with wisdom and strategy.
Our Red Flags allow us to learn and adjust in the next plan we make for ourselves.
Learning, tweaking, adjusting, repeat. That’s a Work in Progress. That’s who we all are.
And that’s how we will successfully create our lives.
Each and every day in the Strive Leadership community, we focus on the most important Works in Progress we have: ourselves. The value of the asset we have created pays us over and over again. We’d love for you to join us as we evaluate our red flags, learn, honor our time, and create ANYTHING we want for our lives.
Hey, Managers in the Home Building & Housing Industry!
If you want to restore the balance in your life (aka your SANITY) by finally taking control of your time, I’ve got a simple solution for you that you can start implementing NOW.
Download my free Get it Done Blueprint: 5 Steps to Building Efficient Time-Management Practices here.