There are many ingredients that go into building a foundation for a happy life.
One of those must be living in the now. Living in the present. Not worrying about moments past or moments promised.
It’s all about now.
What are we doing to squeeze every ounce out of this moment?
We can have all of the tools in the world but they are only good if we choose to use them.
Constantly, we make excuses or reasons why we can’t get certain things done. “I don’t have the time”, we tend to say.
Here’s a suggestion. Go to your Settings on your phone and check your screen time and usage for apps. (On iPhone go to >> Settings > Screen Time). Let’s bundle the social media apps…How long did you spend the last week?
If you’re struggling to “find time” then help yourself by making time.
Did you know you can set time limits on apps to help you manage overconsumption (I have a 30-minute daily timer on my social media apps)? This is one example of dozens of reminders, notifications, alarms, timers, etc that can help you manage your time, avoid distractions, commit to a project, etc.
If you are looking to become more efficient with your time, start looking at what you can take away versus looking at what you can add.
The tools are out there to help us. The question then becomes, “Are we willing to choose to use them?”
What can be said, but said with less? We sit in meetings, read newsletters, listen to podcasts, etc and the ones that do it best eliminate the filler. They get to the point quickly and articulate the real message that is needed to get across.
How many of us have sat through that hour long scheduled meeting when it really could’ve been completed in 12 minutes? How many times could that meeting have been an email?
We are all aware of the filler around us and complain and scoff when it is wasting our time.
Have we considered how much of that “filler time” we are imposing on ourselves throughout the day without even knowing it?
Staying organized, prioritizing, and eliminating unnecessary tasks can be extremely beneficial to helping us structure a happier and stress free life and remain productive to the things that matter to us most.
When we cut out the filler noise (and tasks) we have all of this extra time to add in so much better stuff to our lives that give us more peace, a sound mind, and a chance to focus on our purpose.
What are you going to cut out of your day today that is filling up your time?
One of the things I’ve pondered recently is how much my time is worth considering the many competing priorities in my life and it always seems to be a balancing act of epic proportions to get everything done I need to get done. However, there are a lot of these items that I either don’t enjoy doing or feel they are repetitive and administrative and it’d be more beneficial to get help to complete them.
As I thought more about this it reminded me of several years ago when I decided to use a lawn care service to cut my yard, trim my hedges, fertilize, etc. I enjoyed doing it every now and then as it was my time to think but as my son was growing older I wanted to spend that 1 ½ hour normally set aside for yard work and spend it with him. So, that’s what prompted me to bring on German and let him do my landscaping.
I am using a similar thought process nowadays in regards to leveraging Virtual Assistants for many of these administrative tasks. I’ve found through sites like Freeeup.com and others like it there are many people looking for work and are offering their services for a fair price. In the past, I wanted to do everything myself as I thought I was “saving” myself money by not freelancing this workout.
But now I’ve taken a different perspective on the situation and look at the value of my time as it pertains to my work and when the delta between these numbers is in my favor I will often side with the help to get tasks completed.
Here is what I am speaking about. Let’s use a very simple example and this may be eye-opening if you’ve never done this exercise.
Let’s say, hypothetically, you make $100,000 a year working an average of 40 hours per week. And assuming you take a couple of weeks of vacation, let’s use 2 for easy math, that means you work 50 weeks for the year.
So, 40 hrs/wk x 50 weeks = 2,000 hours of work per year and divided by $100,000 = $50 / hour
That means your time can be equated to being worth $50 an hour.
So, as an example, you need to get email lists together for a marketing campaign you are doing. If that would take you 2 hours to complete (or $100 of your time) then you may be better off using a Virtual Assistant at $7-$10 per hour to complete the work while you spend your time using those 2 hours wisely to potentially increase your hourly rate, attract new business, or work on other projects that are important.
Virtual Assistants have become very common nowadays but it’s still something newer I am trying and many people have never even considered it. It’s definitely different handing over control of projects to people you’ve never or barely met but if you look at it as a professional situation and treat it as such you might be surprised at how it turns out.
My advice:
Find a small project to start with that might take an hour or two and try this out.
Make sure you give direct and clear details to your VA and I’d put everything in email and have it agreed upon prior to beginning the project.
You might find it works out well for you and frees up all sorts of time that can be valuable both personally and professionally.
