Let’s face it…
The only person who really cares enough to protect your time… is YOU.
It’s not that our friends, family, or colleagues don’t respect our time…
Everyone’s just so wrapped up in what they’re doing…
They forget it may not be a top priority for anyone else.
As a result, our days are almost guaranteed to be full of interruption…
Constant calls, texts, emails, meetings (which probably could’ve been emails), the dreaded “got a minute?”...
If that sounds like your typical day, it’s impressive you get any work done at all.
But the worst part about all this distraction and time-theft...
Is that it keeps you from tackling your biggest priorities — the needle-moving activities that can actually improve your life, boost your income, or scale your business.
It’s MISSION CRITICAL that you make time each day to come up with big ideas... write sales scripts... improve your marketing... sharpen your skills... write your book... create new offers... or expand your network.
And you must protect this time at all costs.
Because without it your business, wealth, and quality of life can never grow.
With that in mind…
Today I want to share my 3 Golden Rules of Time Ownership — so you can focus on what matters most and make rapid progress on your goals.
1. The Golden Goal of More Whitespace
This was a HUGE a-ha moment when it hit me.
Adding more Whitespace to your schedule and Whitespace to your brain brings you:
- Peace
- Clarity
- Creativity
- Abundance
Think of a recent Saturday morning where you had some time to yourself…
Remember the feelings that came with it…
You were energized, but not rushed, and because of that you had clarity.
This allowed you to work through problems in a superior manner to a rushed weekday.
Now imagine having that 3-4 times per week!
Every multi-millionaire I know goes to extremes to protect their Whitespace.
Keith Cunningham, in his book The Road Less Stupid, insists on 3 sessions of thinking time per week.
Richard Koch, author of The 80-20 Principle and The Star Principle, says his big $$$ ideas all come from sitting outside at his fish pond.
You must slow down to speed up on the road to greatness.
Your goal is to create more Whitespace in your life.
I encourage all clients to start with a 90-minute Friday morning hike.
That’s the ideal for thinking through big problems.
2. Protect The Golden Hour
Imagine waking up each morning and being given 24 oz of gold.
Would you throw it away?
Of course not… so why throw away your time?
The most important hour is your Magic Time — a Golden Hour of the day when you are more creative, productive, and energetic than any other time.
This is where the magic happens.
But again… too many people throw it away to meetings, email, social media, or even exercise.
Take the Magic back!
Identify your magic time and ruthlessly protect it from time thieves.
Use the golden hour to spin action into gold…
And stop stepping over dollars to pick up dimes by doing $10/hour tasks that could be farmed out.
3. The Golden Word
Can you believe the wealth in just two simple letters?
N-O!
They can make you rich.
Saying no to “coffee meetings” or “pick-your-brain” lunches is essential.
But so is saying NO to new projects that distract you from your one key focus.
And while some people think you should say “YES” to everything…
Remind them that the Queen of No – NOPRAH! – says NO more than anyone else on the planet and she is one of the most impactful people in the world.
Oprah doesn’t roll the cameras…
She doesn’t adjust the lighting…
Oprah says ‘NO’ to everything else and just focuses on what only Oprah can do.
You must say NO to say YES to greatness.
- Cut your meetings shorter
- Cancel meetings that are unnecessary
- Decrease decision fatigue with “Go-No go” Parameters
“It’s not about the daily increase,” said Bruce Lee, “but the daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential!”
*****
I encourage you to try these “Golden Rules” of time ownership ASAP.
When you do I guarantee you’ll free up more time and mental bandwidth almost immediately…
And in the days and weeks that follow…
You’ll start to reap the benefits of being laser focused on your own top priorities.
Success Loves Speed,
Craig
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