I’m in the Investors United library reading about time. Humanity has invested pages and pages on the subject of time, but so many people run short on time, they’re frustrated, they feel like they’re on a treadmill, and they can’t get off to relax and smell the roses.

The truth is we have more control over the hourglass than we might realize. I just wanted to share a couple ideas that I use to create extra time in my life.

Do you really have no time? I hear this all the time, and what a shame to have no time. There is an idea that we need all of the time with nothing to do, and all we really need is some time to do what we want to do, to approach our goals or just enjoy life.

So, here are a couple tips on creating time:

Reclaim time – Is there time in your life that you can reclaim? From pleasure that gives no pleasure? Empty talk at the water cooler… Can you liberate some time from the drain person? In his book, Looking out for number one, Robert Ringer describes this character, the drain person who steals your time away, draining your insights, and offers you nothing in return. We have to not hesitate to reclaim time from time vampires.

Appreciate the value of minutes – I was at the court house with my associate, who you may know, Tony Garcia, a fellow member of Investors United. We had minutes until the courthouse doors were to open, and he was nowhere to be seen. And a second later he comes up the stairs after having collected a page of leads of owners with delinquent tenants. He turned those three minutes into opportunity to generate income.

So, how do you pass your time in taxis, on trains or waiting. Do you hate waiting because you get bored? Or are you a productive person? Do you relish that little bit of extra time to check an email? The latter lead the rest.

Be Efficient – If you ever heard yourself saying, I forgot to or I didn’t have time to or I didn’t think about…You can cultivate two easy habits:

  • Foresight – Imagine in advance. Save 15 minutes by knowing where your keys are.

  • Order – Means a place for everything and everything in its place.

Avoid hesitation – One more way to create time is to avoid hesitation. Think of a dog circling around before they lie down. The floor doesn’t get any softer. Don’t play the role of the tired dog. Don’t allow hesitation to get in the way of goals and dreams. The sooner you get started and move towards where you want to go, the faster you’ll get there. In short, be decisive.

A Decisive Leader – Picture this: A ship’s captain and ensign step up the mess hall counter. The ensign strokes his chin for a moment considering the menu and taste at the moment, the Captain goes up and orders black coffee and a slice of apple pie. And that’s why the Captain is the Captain. Whether its “coffee and apple pie” or “ready about and all hands on deck”. Decisiveness is what makes a successful leader. We need to be our own captains of our own goals. If your goals are clear in your mind, and you value the power of each moment, then you’ll be a busy person too with a sense of power over your life. You have control over the hour glass and time to smell the roses.

To quote a poet:
“Each new hour holds new chances for new beginnings,
the horizon leans forward offering the space to place new steps of change”