And here is the next part of the series “10 principles that helped me achieve my dreams…(and may help you achieve yours)”
For those who missed the big picture, here is the link 🙂
Today, we dive into the fourth. “Pacing and prioritization. We have all the time we need to make our dreams come true.”
1/ From victim to leader of our time
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“I have all the time I need to achieve what I want.”
This is not a buzzword. We tend to hear.
- “I can’t take it anymore.”
- “I never have time.”
- “I’m overwhelmed.”
And we end up becoming what we say.
Gay Hendricks in the book The Big Leap encourages us to see time differently.
His suggestion, go on a diet for at least a month where you no longer complain about your lack of time and see how it affects your perception.
I’ve gotten into the habit of saying and thinking, “I have all the time I need to do what I want.”
And it positively affects my clarity and efficiency.
2/ We have more time than we think for our important projects.
Photo by John-Paul Henry on Unsplash
Nelson Mandela took 32 years to become president of South Africa, 27 of which were spent in prison.
Under the pretext of being overwhelmed, we no longer stop to understand what our essential projects are.
We end up spending “all our time” on little things that don’t fit the big picture.
“There’s never enough time to do the things we don’t really want to do.” —Gay Hendricks
The above example of Nelson Mandela is intimidating and seems far from our everyday lives.
But what would happen in our lives, if we took “a little more time” to better understand
- What do we really want to do?
- Who do we want to become?
And instead of jumping on our list of good resolutions for the year, we gave ourselves two different but complementary time slots.
This is the next point…
3/ A long and a short time…
25 years = 100 quarters
10 years = 40 quarters
Experts speak of 90 minutes as an ideal amount of time to concentrate.
And that’s what the quarter offers in a long project.
“What’s the point of going to an investment fair, you don’t have a dime.”
That’s what a relative told me when I was organizing to see one at 20.
23 years later (92 quarters), I realized one of my projects close to my heart, becoming financially independent.
We were both right at the time. He saw me at the moment. I was projecting myself in the long term.
We can achieve more than we think when we allow ourselves to dream long-term and keep our focus on the current quarter.
And in the end, whether we succeed or not is less important than the experience we create…
The fun is in the practice.
4/ What if trying to go faster was not the solution?
Photo by Indira Tjokorda on Unsplash
In his book The Practicing Mind, Thomas M. Sterner, a grand piano rebuilder, tells this story.
That day, Thomas had a very tight schedule and had to meet the deadlines. Just the thought of it stresses him out. So he decided to do something completely different. Instead of trying to go fast, to time himself, to rush. He opted for the opposite solution.
Go on his first meeting without a watch. Make sure to be aware of every move he makes deliberately. And to take pleasure while being concentrated on its practice.
As he climbed back into his truck at the end of his first shift, he was sure he would be late. But to his surprise, he discovered that he had never worked so fast.
” Slow down to speed up” is an idea that interests me. It has challenged one of my beliefs and is making me grow daily.
At first glance, it seems to go against what I have been looking for a lot. Productivity.
But on closer inspection. It goes in the same direction.
So what is the big difference?
It uses another way. Slow down to better enjoy the present and finally be more efficient.
Often this idea is presented in meditation streams that are a bit distant from the operational world.
But the connection I’m making here is that it also applies to our everyday projects.
By doing so, we better manage our anxieties related to the past or the future. And it allows us to move forward efficiently while enjoying the moment.
Conclusion
I’ve learned hundreds of techniques and used dozens of tools to improve my time management. They helped me. But none of them have the impact of a principle that has the potential to change my outlook.
And that’s what these 3 principles have given me. Clarity, serenity, and efficiency.
- From victim to leader of my time. Move from “I don’t have enough time” to “I have all the time I need to achieve what I want.”
- Associate long and short time. 25 years and 100 quarters/10 years and 40 quarters…The feeling of having time while being efficient every quarter.
- Slow down to speed up: Focusing on what we are doing to enjoy it better, gain efficiency, and reduce stress.
What would happen in your life if you embraced these principles?
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In the same series :
- 10 principles that helped me achieve my dreams…(And that could help you achieve yours). Part 1
- Part Two
- Take 100% responsibility: the first principle to succeed in your wildest projects
- Clarity: focus on the horizon, not on our shoes. The second principle to succeed in your wildest projects
- Courage: dare to commit to your dreams without knowing how to achieve them.
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PS: Whenever you’re ready, here are 2 more ways I can help you accelerate your growth through coaching:
- You are an individual: you have a penchant for action. You’ve achieved a lot. And yet you want more. Curious? Let’s connect for a free call and see if we can work together
- You want to be coached in the workplace: I help successful leaders become even better. And you only pay me if you succeed (yes, I am serious). Curious? Let’s connect for a free call and see if we can work together
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