“I wish I had the time” or “I don’t have the time” are common phrases we hear uttered every day. In saying the words, we come to believe them and drive that belief deeper into our unconscious minds with ever repetition. Yet there is a subtle trap in those phrases. Generally speaking, we DO have the time, we just lack the energy or the commitment to make it a high enough priority. Which is OKAY! Just be clear with yourself, be honest, and stay aligned in your internal dialogue.
How many hours of TV do you watch a week? Spend surfing the net or on social media sites? Is that screen time truly a higher priority than the myriad of things you said “I don’t have the time” to earlier? While screen time may (or may not) be important relaxing downtime, it is vital to realize that given a limited resource (time), every yes is a no to something else. Your life, your choices but if you are CLEAR in your words, you will find greater clarity of purpose, greater self-awareness, and the choices and decisions you make will be better defined and hopefully of a higher quality.
This precise use of words may sound like a small thing, quibbling over semantics. I assure it is not. The secrets of success lie in plain sight; small things which done repeatedly and aggregated together over time make an incredible difference. But because they are so small and because they require changes in behavior ( i.e. focus and self-discipline, commitment over an extended period of time) folks tend to pass them by, always searching for the “magic pill” that will do it all for them.
Closing Quotes:
“Theresa Daytner owns a construction company and has six kids, including twins. She never tells herself, ‘I don’t have time.’ Instead she says, ‘It’s not a priority.’ I could say I don’t have time to make handmade valentines for all my children’s classmates, but if you offered me $100,000, I’d do it quickly. Since that’s not going to happen, I can acknowledge that this is a matter of priority, not time.” – Laura Vanderkam, author, Mosaic and 168 Hours
“If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you will find an excuse.” – Unknown
“So easy when I want to, so hard when I don’t.” – Unknown
As always, I share what I most want/need to learn. – Nathan S. Collier