Do you want to go after something big, but you’re not sure if you’re on the right track? Are you worried that you won’t have enough time to fulfill all of your current roles like Mom, Sister, Wife, or Daddy, Brother, Husband?
When you decide to go after a dream everything in the world will try to convince you that it might be the wrong move. Ultimately, you are in charge of your world. The things that you make a priority will win out in the end. So, if you are one of those ambitious people that have decided to take on the world and make your dreams a reality, you need to focus on how you spend your most precious resource-TIME. If you manage your time correctly, you can absolutely reach your goals and keep the most important people in your life happy. But, there’s a catch.
Catch 22
When you choose to do something, you choose not to do something else. Anytime you spend your time watching television, you are choosing to not read a book. Anytime you cook a large supper, you are choosing to enjoy a meal instead of really engaging with with your family. Think Simplify. In my own life, I have recently implemented sandwiches for lunch. We used to cook all three meals a day. We would spend several hours in the kitchen cooking and cleaning. Now, I choose to make a sandwich that takes 10 minutes with almost no clean up. I have so much more time to actually spend doing the things that matter to me. When you choose to go after a big goal, realize that you cannot continue to be the person you were before. You must make conscious sacrifices and cut the things that are the least important in your life.
You must be willing to give up the things you are accustomed to in order to have the things you want. – Paulo Coelho
If you feel like you are stretched too thin, then let me ease your pain. Here are three things you can do to free up some time for building your legend.
1) Strive for Efficiency Be repetitive and simplify tasks that are unimportant. Do you really care what breakfast is? Is it going to change your life if you have a big breakfast instead of a fast breakfast? Get up and make oatmeal and eggs and be done with it. Oatmeal and eggs are cheap, simple, healthy, and quick. Try to look at other areas of your life where you can chop tasks that take time. Don’t throw clothes in the laundry if you have only worn the shirt for 5 minutes, hang it back up. Don’t spend 3 hours cutting grass if you can hire it out for $20. Outsource, simplify, and achieve. This type of behavior takes a conscious effort too. Every little bit of time you can save will free up some valuable time for the things that are most important.
2) Dedicate Time to Your Goals and Pay Yourself First Be specific with the time you spend on your dream. Don’t play around with it. Don’t do it last. Set time aside every single day to make progress or to just keep focused. Even if it’s just 5 minutes. I’m writing this post at 5:17 am while the rest of my family sleeps. This is important to me. I make time for it by sacrificing the ability to sleep late. Do the same for yourself. If you’re willing to get up early for a job, then be willing to work weird hours for yourself.
If you don’t build your own dream someone else will hire you to help build theirs. -Tony Gaskins Jr.
3) Be Decisive Stop trying to achieve “balance” in your life. There is no such thing. There is only choice. Choose and be decisive. Choose your most important relationships, choose your most important goal, choose what’s gonna matter to you 6 months from now, 6 years from now. There will be times when you can’t make every family engagement. You won’t be able to please everyone so don’t even try. Give the necessary focus to your immediate support structure, the people in your life that empower your dream and the rest of the world can deal with it. After all, it’s your goal. Your dream. History is peppered with stories of dreamers who were considered crazy for most of their lives. Society usually doesn’t understand when a person is on fire to do something big. Don’t expect them to jump up and down and cheer you on right away. This is YOUR dream, not theirs. You are writing your story. Take pride in the fact that you are bold enough to make a move. You are living your legend. If you really want an edge on how to get your most important things done every day then check out “Want to Accomplish More in Less Time? You might Be Misusing Your To-Do List.”
Thank you for all the feedback! Behind the scenes many of you have let me know what you’re working on and I’m very excited to be a part of your journey. We have law students, aspiring day-traders, broadcasting companies, accountants and more that are working everyday on their biggest goals. I don’t know what the future holds but I’m serious about building a community that pushes the envelope and each other to get it done. I foresee meetups where we can share ideas, talk about what we are working on, and build friendships face to face. I want to know what you’re working on. If you’re not comfortable leaving a comment yet then send me an email at brad@bradleygann.com. The more I know about you, the more specific I can be when providing you with great content.
Happen to the World,
Brad
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