Craig Jarrow of Time Management Ninja said “I don’t have time isn’t an excuse. Rather, it is a choice to do something else.” Each day, you face a multitude of choices. Writing a to-do list is a choice. Doing the tasks you write is another choice.
A few months ago, I wrote about how you can use an Eisenhower matrix to decide which tasks you should be doing and which you are probably better off assigning to someone else. What’s on your to-do list? Is it what you should be doing or just what you want to do? Bonus tip: Not doing anything is also a choice.
An easy way to see how what you are currently doing is a choice is to frame it this way:
- You don’t have time to make those sales calls but you have time to stare at the ceiling.
- You don’t have time to send your loved one a text message but you have time to go through social media.
- You don’t have time to read a self-improvement book but you have time to lament how nothing changes in your life.
- You don’t have time to acquire a new skill but you have time to gossip every weekend.
Have you noticed a pattern? The most productive people might not be more talented than you. They simply are more committed to making thoughtful choices about how they spend their time. We all have 24 hours in a day. How you choose to spend it is up to you. Have you made the choice to do what needs to be done?
