I regularly hear people talking about saving time. Can you save it? If you could, where would you store it? Would you keep it in a paper bag in a drawer, or does it need a sealed container?
We’re all desperate for more – but to my knowledge, no one finishes the journey wishing they had spent more of their time in the office. So it seems we don’t really wish to save our hours and store them up in a bank to be used at a later date – we want to know how we can spend our time better.
Almost everyone complains about not enough time, but it turns out we all have 24 hours in a day. Even the wealthiest people on the planet can’t buy themselves more time.
What we don’t know is how many 24 hours we have and so it is incumbent upon us to utilise the hours that we have.
We must apply the same thinking to time as we do with money
Accountants have an interesting relationship with time. We record and measure it and we traditionally try to charge for it, yet consistently we complain that the clients don’t value our time and we don’t have enough of it.
We are renowned for the application of common-sense, clear thinking, strict use of resources and our ability to count….yet we keep running out of time. We must apply the same approach to time as a limited resource as we would do with money. Truth is we cannot get more time, we can only be more efficient with it.
How we approach our tasks is key
Whatever task we are undertaking, we should consider how best to utilise the space we have:
- Decide first on what you want to achieve:– The outcome belongs at the beginning.
- Write it down:– for many of us the mind runs constantly and often goes off at tangents. To be efficient we must write it down and identify the desired goal or outcome.
- Identify what resources you will need:- Come to the task fully prepared. So much time is wasted with interruptions, putting things down and picking them.
- Put a value on your time & set a time budget: Identify what is it worth to you to complete this task and decide how much time you are willing to allocate to the task.
- Remove distractions: It is not efficient to try to multitask on two things that both require your conscious attention. You can’t ride two bicycles.
- Make a start: More time is wasted through procrastination. Or if you are not going to start then put it aside and do something else.
Remember Stephen Covey’s point about important tasks Vs urgent tasks
“Most people engage in habits that are tension relieving rather than goal achieving”
There are twenty-four hours in every day. Roughly eight of those hours are spent working and eight are spent sleeping…what do you do with the other eight? Could we be more disciplined if we chose to? Remember Stephen Covey’s point about important but not urgent? How much time do we spend on tasks that are urgent but not important or even not urgent or important? Could we find another hour in each day if we really wanted? Another hour in each day pretty much equates to a day a week, an extra week every month, what could you do with that time?
There is no right or wrong answer. Time they say is measured by which side of the bathroom door you are standing. What is important is that you value your hours appropriately recognising that it is a limited resource and if you do that, then you will probably find more time for the things you want to get done.
Success is about applying a few basic fundamentals consistently
The difference between rich and poor may well be how they value their time. Success often is about applying a few basic fundamentals consistently and investing your time well. Jim Rohn said that the difference between the rich and the poor is that the rich invest their money and spend what is left, whilst the poor spend their money and invest what is left. The same can be said of your time.
Join the Armadillo community and learn how to free yourself
We have been where you have been and we have run our own businesses and so we understand the value in investing wisely in Mindset, Tools, Training and Confidence. We can help you to make the best use of your time so that you can have the Choices to build the business that works for you instead of you working for the business.
If you want to know how we can help you and your team further then get in touch with us: Home – Armadillo Academy
Gordon Berry is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser plus an NLP and Mindfulness Practitioner. You can learn more about the Armadillo training programs here: Academy – Armadillo Academy
