November 12Time Treasure
I like the independent feeling; and though not an easy life, it is a free one, and I enjoy it. I can't do much with my hands; so I will make a battering-ram of my head and make a way through this rough-and-tumble world.
Louisa May Alcott—Her Life, Letters, and Journals (1914)
The inspiring promise of entrepreneurship is complete independence. At least that's what the brochure says, right? What's your reality been?
What few tell you is that it's possible to be totally free and totally out of control at the same time. And then the promise starts to feel more like sacrifice than reward.
Freedom is granted only to those who take it, and that means coming to grips with the treasure of your time. (A “battering ram” for a head doesn't hurt in this conquest either.)
If freedom to you means hitting fresh powder on a Tuesday morning during ski season, it will only cause stress unless Tuesday afternoon is spent focused on making a difference in your business.
It's not about time management; it's about a commitment to working on the things that matter—and 75 percent of the things we spend (waste) our time on don't matter in the end.
What's the most important objective of your business, who are you most trying to impact, what priorities trump all today? Focus only on those few high-payoff activities, do less of everything else, and go hit the trails—that's freedom, that's control.
No, it's not an easy life; it's a free one.
Challenge Question
- What is your biggest ...
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