There is no time. I don’t have enough time. Time gets away from me. I’m never on time. I’m out of time.
Time. It’s a problem, if you let it be. If you let it own you. But ever stop to think YOU could own time instead? It’s a shift in thought and in action. Not only can you take ownership, but if you do it right, time can make your life better than you ever thought possible. Make time, it’s easier than you think.
I started thinking about it and then I read a line that made time stand still for me. Try this one on for size from Focal Point, by Brian Tracy:
“Time is the critical success factor in ALL relationships. The quality of any relationship is directly related to the amount of time you invest in that relationship. You demonstrate a person’s importance to you by spending time with him or her.” Never really thought about it like that before… to show someone you love them, simply spend time with them. Seems easy enough. But how many of us make it a priority? How many of us miss the point, and miss out.
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, life’s not about the breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away. So, so true.. but, and this is a big but, if you are not around to see those moments, do the people who are living them really care if you’re breathing or not? Probably not, because you missed your time and theirs.
I started this blog with one end in mind. My why, to share and to make a difference and I said I would not be afraid. By doing so, I choose to share experiences, knowledge, and insight, so together we might all learn something. However, it’s not fair to offer perspective and not take responsibility for your own shortcomings. I have mine and without fear I must own up to them so that others might learn from my mistakes.
More than a dozen years ago I became self-employed in order to spend more time with my family. In theory, and on paper, it was a perfect set-up. In reality, I let time get the best of me and merged work time and family time all too often. What I failed to learn was this, and it’s simple, relationships demand time. All relationships. My relationship with my career and my success at work were extraordinary, because I spent the time… working. My relationship with my family and my responsiblity in my home were, on too many occasions, lacking, and for one reason, time. I had not learned how to make my work time stop and my family time begin. They overlapped, because I let time get the best of me and the work I didn’t get done during the day, meant time must be spent at night, working to complete what I needed to get accomplished.
Brian Tracy explains it this way: “Remember there are two types of time spent in your life: There is work time, which is measured by results and productivity and there is personal time, which is measured in terms of love and contentment. It is the quality of time at work that counts and the quantity of time at home that matters. When you dedicate yourself to creating and maintaining a wonderful personal life, the quality of every other area of your life will improve.” (including work!)
It’s a paradigm shift. But it demands attention. February was one of my best work months in a long time and I spent more time with my family than any other month in years: making dinners once a week, enjoying family days, giving cards to my girls and my wife every week, surprising my wife with a special gift, having a date night with her, having a date day with my daughters. It was time well spent, actually that’s selling it short… it was time you can’t get back. It makes them and you feel so special, you don’t ever want to miss out again. And I didn’t miss a beat in my business, finishing at the top of the charts for production in my office. It was the time I spent making time and memories with my family that invigorated the rest of my life. I spent the hours I planned to work – doing just that, working – and the hours I scheduled at home were then work free, and free to be with the ones I cherish, because those times are priceless.
Time is love. I own it now, I hope you can to.
Until next time, thanks for taking the time.
Mark