The Real Reason You’re Not Achieving Your Goals: Time Management and Success
grant • August 11, 2024
One of the most common “reasons” I hear from people I coach for why they haven’t hit their action targets is that they simply don't have the time. It's the reason they give for not achieving their goals, not applying themselves as they promised, and not getting things done that they know they should be doing.
"I didn’t have the time," they say.
Coming to terms with the fact, that in nearly all cases this is a state of mind can be extremely challenging, I have empathy, I’ve been there!
It’s their perception. And more often than not, it’s the excuse they use to justify why something didn’t get done, whether it's that task, job, call, appointment, or whatever else was on their to-do list.
Let’s break this down rationally. Every single one of us has 24 hours in a day. Unless you’re incarcerated or live in a part of the world where your freedoms are significantly restricted, you are in control of your time. You decide what you do with those 24 hours.
Now, you might argue, “But I have to work, I have family commitments, I need to sleep.” Yes, these are real obligations, but they are also reasons that you might use to give yourself permission to not get things done. The word "time" becomes the blanket excuse for why something didn’t happen.
But let’s not forget, we all have the same amount of time each day. The difference lies in how we choose to spend it. If your perception is that you don’t control your time, the first step is to change that perception. Accepting that you are in control of your time and that you made a conscious decision to use it in a way that wasn’t aligned with your goals is crucial. Once you accept this, you’re on your way to managing your time more effectively.
So, what does this mean in practice? It means taking responsibility for how you spend your time. It means understanding that it’s okay if you didn’t use your time as planned because you chose to do something else instead. The key is not to beat yourself up over it, but to accept it and then look for ways to manage your time better.
Let me give you some real-world examples. In my line of work, I coach a lot of people who are involved in sales and prospecting. They might commit to actions like attending networking events, sending out emails or text messages, making phone calls, or attending meetings. If they have full-time jobs and other commitments, and they don’t meet their targets, the go-to excuse is often that they didn’t have time.
But here’s the truth: they did have the time. They could have found a way. As entrepreneurs, that’s what we do, we find a way to get things done. But it all starts with accepting that we had the time and made a different choice. It’s about taking responsibility for that choice and then working on ways to manage our time more effectively.
When we look at highly successful people, one of the traits they all share is the ability to control their time effectively. But here’s the thing: they didn’t become successful and then learn to manage their time. They became successful because they learned to control their time first. It’s a cause-and-effect relationship, not the other way around.
So, if you want to start climbing the ladder of success, one of the first steps is to take control of your time. Stop making excuses, take responsibility for how you spend your time, and watch how this simple shift can make a huge difference in your life.
I hope this resonates with you. I’d love to hear your thoughts, do you agree, or do you have a different perspective? If you’d like me to delve deeper into this topic, let me know.
To your success
Grant
"I didn’t have the time," they say.
Coming to terms with the fact, that in nearly all cases this is a state of mind can be extremely challenging, I have empathy, I’ve been there!
It’s their perception. And more often than not, it’s the excuse they use to justify why something didn’t get done, whether it's that task, job, call, appointment, or whatever else was on their to-do list.
Let’s break this down rationally. Every single one of us has 24 hours in a day. Unless you’re incarcerated or live in a part of the world where your freedoms are significantly restricted, you are in control of your time. You decide what you do with those 24 hours.
Now, you might argue, “But I have to work, I have family commitments, I need to sleep.” Yes, these are real obligations, but they are also reasons that you might use to give yourself permission to not get things done. The word "time" becomes the blanket excuse for why something didn’t happen.
But let’s not forget, we all have the same amount of time each day. The difference lies in how we choose to spend it. If your perception is that you don’t control your time, the first step is to change that perception. Accepting that you are in control of your time and that you made a conscious decision to use it in a way that wasn’t aligned with your goals is crucial. Once you accept this, you’re on your way to managing your time more effectively.
So, what does this mean in practice? It means taking responsibility for how you spend your time. It means understanding that it’s okay if you didn’t use your time as planned because you chose to do something else instead. The key is not to beat yourself up over it, but to accept it and then look for ways to manage your time better.
Let me give you some real-world examples. In my line of work, I coach a lot of people who are involved in sales and prospecting. They might commit to actions like attending networking events, sending out emails or text messages, making phone calls, or attending meetings. If they have full-time jobs and other commitments, and they don’t meet their targets, the go-to excuse is often that they didn’t have time.
But here’s the truth: they did have the time. They could have found a way. As entrepreneurs, that’s what we do, we find a way to get things done. But it all starts with accepting that we had the time and made a different choice. It’s about taking responsibility for that choice and then working on ways to manage our time more effectively.
When we look at highly successful people, one of the traits they all share is the ability to control their time effectively. But here’s the thing: they didn’t become successful and then learn to manage their time. They became successful because they learned to control their time first. It’s a cause-and-effect relationship, not the other way around.
So, if you want to start climbing the ladder of success, one of the first steps is to take control of your time. Stop making excuses, take responsibility for how you spend your time, and watch how this simple shift can make a huge difference in your life.
I hope this resonates with you. I’d love to hear your thoughts, do you agree, or do you have a different perspective? If you’d like me to delve deeper into this topic, let me know.
To your success
Grant
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