There is an elusive thing that every human being searches for, hopes for, wishes for, and sometimes, even begs for; Time. We never seem to have enough of it!
“I don’t have enough time.”
“If I had more time I could…”
“There just isn’t enough time in the day.”
“Time is money!”
On and on the struggle to gain more time continues. Though I am only going to be a quarter of a century old this year, during nearly all of it I, as I’m sure most of you agree, have been forced and struggled to find more time in the day to do the things I HAVE to do so that I have “more” time to do the things I WANT to do. The problem with this mentality is that it sets us up for failure. There is a limit.
Each person from the youngest newborn to the oldest human in history gets only 24 hours in a day. Twenty - four hours to get that amazing career opportunity. Twenty - four hours to work towards that degree. Twenty - four hours to do whatever you need to do, day in and day out there is only 24 hours in a day. But, there’s a catch! We aren’t robots (most of us anyway). Science says that most of us need six to eight hours of sleep, meaning complete inactivity or zero productivity in order for our bodies to be healthy. What?! Now you’re telling me I only have sixteen to eighteen hours to get all the things on my checklist finished? But, I need to eat too! If I want to spend quality time with my family (which everyone should) that’s AT LEAST 1 hour each meal if we get take out, more if we decide eat at the restaurant, much less cook!
It’s a crazy thing to figure out and there are plenty of “how-to’s” and magical “read this and end the struggle” books or articles and even seminars where people train other people how to use time wisely. The craziest part of it all is that some people will actually pay a ton of money in order to find the secret. I’m not saying that these things don’t work. I’m not judging the people who spend money on these things. However, I am trying to tell you, there is an easier way.
I’m going to share two things I tell myself that have helped me change how I look at time.
- “Do not tell me you do not have time for something…Oprah had 24 in her day, Bill Gates had 24 hours in his, Albert Einstein, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and on and on and on. You have the same 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; go use them.” This is adapted from a multitude of quotes that I have read and heard from plenty of sports coaches, management coaches, and motivational speakers alike.
- My second and final statement will be this quote with an unknown origin: “If you want something bad enough, you will find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”
How do you use your 24 hours a day to your advantage? Please share your tips on how you get the most out of your day in the comment section below.