How To Find The Time To Build The Life You Want

I often hear people claim they “just don’t have the time” to improve their lives.

There’s no time to organize finances, create budgets, or learn about investing.

There’s no time to start that side hustle.

There’s no time to begin that business they’ve always dreamed of.

There aren’t enough hours in the day to learn those new skills that might help them advance in the work place.

And with a family and kids there’s absolutely no time to go back to school to gain the education needed for a higher paying job.

But the truth of the matter is that we do have the time needed to change our lives. We’ve simply mastered too many ways of wasting it.

We fritter away small chunks of it, – a 30 minute commute to work, 15 minutes standing in line at the post office, 40 minutes spent on Facebook.

We waste large chunks of it, – whole evenings watching American Idol, The Game, and other bubblegum for the brain.

So what’s a time-challenged person to do?

First, find a system that allows you to take advantage of small chunks of time.

I’m in the middle of studying for a professional licensing exam. My system involves creating flash cards as I study. Later on I’ll stick a stack in my coat pocket to use in impromtu review sessions as I wait in line at the bank or sit on the train on my way to work. I also carry a notebook with me at all times which I use to flesh out new ideas for my blog or outline new blog posts.

Stanford, founder of the highly successful website Pushing Social, has created a system that helps him write proficiently for his blog despite working a 9 to 5. He uses 20 minutes first thing in the morning to write a draft for his next blog post. Time in the shower is used for creative thinking and the morning commute becomes a prime time for brainstorming new post ideas.

Fifteen minutes here, twenty minutes there, over weeks and months it adds up. But if you develop a system for using these small bits of time you’ll soon start reaping huge rewards.

Next, learn to slay your time vampires. That’s right I’m talking about the idle time we waste watching television, viewing Facebook, or playing Madden 2012.

According to Nielsen’s, we spend an average of 32 hours a week watching television. Imagine that. We spend over a whole day just watching the television screen.

That’s the equivalent of four whole (9 to 5) work days. Consider what you could accomplish in that amount of time. How much easier would it be for you to reach your goals?

Torrey McGraw runs Grind and Thrive, a blog that features interviews of entrepreneurs and trendsetters. He understands clear well the need to use your time wisely in order to invest in the things that lead to success.

“I am behind the scenes working maniacally to improve my interviewing skills. That’s more important to me than watching Basketball Wives and other stuff that doesn’t make me better,” asserts McGraw.

Smart advice.

Stop letting television steal the precious time you could use to pursue your dreams. Yes, it could make you feel out-of-the-loop when others are discussing the latest Housewives gossip, but the rewards of using the time to invest in yourself are immeasurable.

You have the time to make big changes in your life. The question is, will you use it or let it go to waste?

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