Well, I don’t have patience for that nonsense anymore!

Saying you don’t have time to plan, think strategically, or work ON your business is completely asinine. The mere inkling of a thought along those lines is an indicator that planning and strategy are exactly what you should be spending your time doing. The “I don’t have time” excuse is a matter of mindset, priorities, and choices.

We all have the same amount of time each day. Time is the one, truly scarce resource. Nevertheless, our mindset around time has a profound effect on our relationship with it. Rather than focus on the limitation, it is far more productive to realize that you have all the time you need. God is big and very powerful. And he designed you with a purpose. So, he also provides the resources you need to accomplish that purpose. Imagine having a 10-year-old child and telling her that she needs to clean her room (which is a bit of a mess). 30 seconds later you open her door and ask her if she’s done yet. Then, when she says, “No, I just started,” you ground her for not getting the job done in time. That would be cruel, wouldn’t it? You would never do something so unreasonable, right? Our God is not cruel either. You have the time you need.

Furthermore, while there may have been times that you suffered consequences for missing a deadline or arriving somewhere late, did you survive? You’re reading this, so I’m going to assume the answer was, “Yes.” Did you also maybe learn something in the process? Your mindset about time comes first, and it is the key to always having enough time to do what you need to do.

That begs the question, “What do you NEED to do?” This is where prioritization comes into play. Obviously, we do not have unlimited time. We cannot do everything we WANT to do. It is therefore important to prioritize that which needs to be done.

Time moves forward at the same pace every moment of every day. There is nothing we can do to stop it, slow it down, or speed it up. It is not something that can be managed. So, rather than “time management”, I prefer Timescaping™, which is shaping the use of our time to create an intentional, balanced landscape in our lives. Whether you use a methodology like Timescaping™ or something else, find a system that helps you to use your time on the most important things first.

Ultimately, this all comes down to choices. We get to choose how we spend our time. If we’re being honest, we spend our time on that which is important to us. Often, however, what is “important” is determined by our desire for comfort/pleasure, and is only “important” in the moment. When we pause to consider if watching TV is really more important than reading a book, most of the time we would answer, “No.” Yet we watch TV anyway (or browse social media, or play video games, etc).

Next time you are asked about spending time ON your business and your initial thought is, “I don’t have time,” reframe it. What you really mean is, “I am choosing not to make planning or strategy in my business a priority.” Ouch. You probably shouldn’t say that aloud… even though it’s the TRUTH.

So, my business-owning friend, I’m asking you: are you ready to get started on your business strategy now?