My Reality Check Bounced! - Jason Ryan Dorsey [75]
Action 3: No’ing is Half the Battle
I came to terms with the fact that I was not going to simply find thirty minutes of free time throughout my day. I had become too much of an expert at staying busy. This block of time would be found only if I created it. Then I learned the most powerful word in any language for refocusing your schedule to match your life priorities: no.
This one little word gives you mastery of your schedule and allows you to reduce the stress that goes with being overcommitted. No also happened to be the word I least liked saying. I always felt bad turning people down when they wanted help or to just hang out. But I had to learn how to say no and stick to it. This one word was the best tool I had to regain control of my schedule and refocus it on a more meaningful lifestyle.
The first victims of my new determination to live a more balanced life were my weekly business meetings. In truth, these weren’t business meetings. They were a chance to chat with a friend or adviser about what was going on in the world. We would kick around ideas, share a cup of coffee and catch up. I now understand that these business meetings were unnecessary diversions that kept me from pursuing more meaningful life priorities.
I also adopted a new philosophy about meetings that dramatically reduced my stress: If the meeting doesn’t have the potential to move me closer to my Future Picture, I don’t go. I know that sounds harsh, but so does the thought of missing the chance to sit outside on a gorgeous afternoon because I’m in a stale office talking with someone about something neither of us really cares about.
Action 4: Cut Down on Time Wasters
Next to go in my overbooked schedule was couch time. No, I’m not talking about me snuggling on the sofa with my girlfriend while watching Oprah (We still do that!). This was the two hours I was spending each day watching the news—after I’d already read about it on the Internet. I cut my news junkie habit down to thirty minutes a day.
My other big daily time waster was errands. It’s amazing how much time you can waste going to the bank, grocery store, and post office, especially if you do each separately. Combining those errands into one weekly trip freed up forty-five minutes a day!
Saying no to unnecessary meetings, cutting back on the time-consuming activities that were out of line with my life priorities, and consolidating errands freed up between one and two hours in my schedule each day. My mentor said this would happen, and now I believe him. Spare time is never found, but you can create it!
To find what you’ve been in such a rush to uncover, put this Reality Check Challenge on your schedule:
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REALITY CHECK CHALLENGE
GOAL: Create your own Half Hour to Full Power.
TASK: I challenge you to set aside, carve out, say no, or otherwise create thirty minutes sometime next week for you to solely focus on yourself. This block of time can replace a social event that doesn’t move you closer to your purpose, a TV show you watch but don’t really care about, or some other activity that is only a distraction. When you create this me time, focus on one of the ten areas outlined later in this chapter.
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If you’re so committed to living your Future Picture that you take the Reality Check Challenge, you’ll find yourself with half an hour set aside for you next week. This blank space on your calendar is for your independent study on creating more meaning and fulfillment in your life.
You may be wondering how much value you can truly gain from a thirty-minute block of me time.
Good question. Think about it this way: devoting only thirty minutes per day toward your life priorities four times a week equals over a hundred hours you’re investing annually toward your Future Picture. That’s a seriously solid foundation to build on.
BALANCING ACT: TEN LIFE AREAS TO FOCUS ON FIRST