Poll Results: I don't have the time

I recently posted a poll on LinkedIn asking the question, "What is keeping you from achieving that one special goal of yours?" This poll generated 14 responses. This blog addresses one of the topics from that poll, namely, "I don't have the time". These responses were generated by owners and management in medium to small companies and the respondents were all between the ages of 35 and 54 and were about evenly split between men and women.

The other available responses were:

• I don't have the drive
• I don't have the money 
• I don't know where to start
• I have no special goal

The ironic thing is that it has been over a month since my last blog and if you were to ask me why it has been so long, I would tell you it was because I "didn't have the time". Really?? NO time?!? Maybe I should start practicing what I preach. A couple of people have recommended to me that I should start a journal of my experience going through my process of losing my job and starting my  practice as a Possibilities Life Coach. I like the idea, because I used to journal quite a bit, but have gotten out of the habit. They said, "You are going through, right now, what your clients will be going through. This is a perfect time to capture those ideas so you can relate to them and offer them additional insights". I do need to get on that!

 

Here are some steps that will help you on your way:

 

Step 1: Realize that this is going to take time. Yes, time is a precious thing and an irreplaceable commodity, (once you lose time, you never get it back). The thing is, you probably have much more time than you THINK you do, (or than you are willing to admit having, anyways). Remember, a goal is not just about a destination, it is also about the journey. You don't have to "do it all at once". If that were the case, the "I don't have the time" excuse would float rather nicely, but it's not the case.

 

Step 2: Identify the time you really DO have. That half hour you spent perusing the internet, watching that rerun on tv before going to bed, that little bit of time before or after one project/task or the next, that little nap you snuck in, these are all examples of time that we do have that we "don't count" when we say we don't have the time. If you are really brave, add up all of that wasted time from  a single day and see how much extra time you really do have in your day.

 

Step 3: Take small steps. You don't have to do it all at once and now we can see that we do have lots of little blocks of time, so use them to make a little progress. Remember, a little progress is better than no progress at all. Give yourself permission to take it little by little.

 

Step 4: Write down your goal. You need to clearly identify exactly what it is you are trying to do. You will NEVER know how much time it will take when  you don't even know what you are starting. And INCLUDE A DUE DATE! You can let this goal continue to slide if you have no set date by which you want to have it completed. Write it down in several places where you will see it often so you have a constant reminder of what you are going to accomplish. (Notice how I said "going to accomplish" and not "trying to accomplish"? KNOW that you will reach your goal!)

 

Step 5: Flesh out your goal. Write about it. Write it out. Write out every little detail of what you are going to do and how you are going to achieve it. Write about everything you want to get out of this goal. This will start generating ideas for where you might need to start and will probably bring some realizations to options you had not considered or thought about it. Carry a notebook with you and jot some notes about it whenever you have a free moment.

 

As you are making notes and fleshing out your goal, various steps required in achieving your goal will begin to emerge. This is a good place to be. Make note of these, too. This will give you the steps you need to take to make your goal a reality. You may even come up with some steps you hadn't even considered before. Again, this is a GOOD thing!

 

 

Step 6: Organize your notes.Now that you have a list of all the things you need to do to accomplish your goal, start organizing them and putting them in order. This will create a prioritization and give you an idea what step you might be able to accomplish whenever you "have a spare minute". You will also realize that while the ENTIRE goal may take quite a bit of time to achieve, the individual steps might not be so bad. Suddenly, maybe you DO have the time, and that goal IS more achievable than you had suspected!

 

Step 7: KEEP MOVING FORWARD! You know your steps and you know you have more time than you thought. Keep moving forward. Let your momentum grow! Get EXCITED about your goal! Set small deadlines for the various steps on your list and try to keep them, (be realistic). The point is to not give up and to keep making progress.

 

 

Step 8: Remember the rewards! Yes, to many, accomplishing the goal is the only reward for your efforts, but let me introduce another idea to you. Reward yourself for EVERY EFFORT! You can put a lot of effort into achieving your goal and it is  never too soon to give yourself a little pat on the back for the progress that you are making. In fact, a little celebration at the completion of each step might just be the thing to keep you moving toward your goal! Think about it! You don't just celebrate the grand finale of achieving your overall goal, but you also get to celebrate the milestones on the way! Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Are you SURE you don't have the time to put a little fun into your life?

 

Good luck! Keep reaching for those goals AND I WILL BE BACK SOON!! And remember, Anything is Possible and YOUR Possibilities are ENDLESS!

 

'Til next time!

 

Tom