How To Have Time Freedom - Right Now! Part 2 Of 4
In Part 1 of this four part series I defined time freedom as: "the ability to decide what to do with your time without neglecting the other things you have decided to have in your life" and said that the first step in creating time freedom is deciding exactly what you want.
STEP 1: Clearly define what you want in your life.
If you don’t clearly define exactly what you want, how will you know when you have it?
I went on to suggest that once you've created your list of what you want in your life, you re-order the list by priority so it is very clear what you want the most. This list is now used in Part 2 to help you create a plan for having what you want.
STEP 2: Create a plan for having what you want.
The trend toward self-employed, home-based and very small businesses demonstrates the huge shift in our economy. According to recent statistics* over 15.4 million people were self-employed in 1997 with a substantial increase in more recent years due to lay-offs and other economic considerations. Over 5 million of the 5.8 million employers in the U.S. in 2000 had fewer than 20 employees. I believe this is largely due to our search for time freedom.
It is commonly believed that by becoming our own boss we will have more time freedom. Unfortunately, this is all too often untrue. In fact, the opposite is often true, especially in the beginning as we go through the startup phase.
Time freedom is a product of planning.
Once you’ve decided what you really want, the next step is creating a plan for having it. For this step you will need to take each item from the list you created in Part 1 and ask what needs to happen in order for you to have it. Do you need to find it, buy it, create it, earn it, etc.?
What needs to happen first?
Asking questions is a very powerful tool that can be used in every aspect of life. You can ask someone directly or you can just pose the question and be alert to the answers that can come from anywhere. Knowing the question and stating it clearly heightens your awareness of the answer.
Ask questions to clarify necessary actions to take.
Next, define each one further until each action becomes clear. For example, if you need to find something, ask “Where shall I look?”, “What do I need to have in order to look for it?”, “Whose help do I need to find it?”, etc. Often, asking questions in this way leads to an awareness that the answers are readily available.
Put your list in the order it needs to happen.
Now, if there is a particular order in which these need to happen, re-order the list from what needs to be done first, then next and so on. You should begin to see a map forming. You now have a very clear picture of what to do, in what order to do it, and what/who you need in order to do it.
Knowing what you want and what it will take to have it will increase your efficiency and free up more of your time. Have you ever gone to a grocery store for a few items but forgot your list. How was that experience different from going to the grocery store with a specific list written in the order that the items are located in the store? Which one took more time? Which one felt more empowering?
I hope you have enjoyed Parts 1 and 2 of “How to Have Time Freedom - Right Now!” In Part 3 we will discuss how to increase your enjoyment of life while also increasing your productivity. Until then, be sure to take the time to do the first two steps outlined in Part 1 and 2...it will be well worth your time...I guarantee it!
* The Small Business Economic Indicators 2000 report produced by the Small Business Administration.
STEP 1: Clearly define what you want in your life.
If you don’t clearly define exactly what you want, how will you know when you have it?
I went on to suggest that once you've created your list of what you want in your life, you re-order the list by priority so it is very clear what you want the most. This list is now used in Part 2 to help you create a plan for having what you want.
STEP 2: Create a plan for having what you want.
The trend toward self-employed, home-based and very small businesses demonstrates the huge shift in our economy. According to recent statistics* over 15.4 million people were self-employed in 1997 with a substantial increase in more recent years due to lay-offs and other economic considerations. Over 5 million of the 5.8 million employers in the U.S. in 2000 had fewer than 20 employees. I believe this is largely due to our search for time freedom.
It is commonly believed that by becoming our own boss we will have more time freedom. Unfortunately, this is all too often untrue. In fact, the opposite is often true, especially in the beginning as we go through the startup phase.
Time freedom is a product of planning.
Once you’ve decided what you really want, the next step is creating a plan for having it. For this step you will need to take each item from the list you created in Part 1 and ask what needs to happen in order for you to have it. Do you need to find it, buy it, create it, earn it, etc.?
What needs to happen first?
Asking questions is a very powerful tool that can be used in every aspect of life. You can ask someone directly or you can just pose the question and be alert to the answers that can come from anywhere. Knowing the question and stating it clearly heightens your awareness of the answer.
Ask questions to clarify necessary actions to take.
Next, define each one further until each action becomes clear. For example, if you need to find something, ask “Where shall I look?”, “What do I need to have in order to look for it?”, “Whose help do I need to find it?”, etc. Often, asking questions in this way leads to an awareness that the answers are readily available.
Put your list in the order it needs to happen.
Now, if there is a particular order in which these need to happen, re-order the list from what needs to be done first, then next and so on. You should begin to see a map forming. You now have a very clear picture of what to do, in what order to do it, and what/who you need in order to do it.
Knowing what you want and what it will take to have it will increase your efficiency and free up more of your time. Have you ever gone to a grocery store for a few items but forgot your list. How was that experience different from going to the grocery store with a specific list written in the order that the items are located in the store? Which one took more time? Which one felt more empowering?
I hope you have enjoyed Parts 1 and 2 of “How to Have Time Freedom - Right Now!” In Part 3 we will discuss how to increase your enjoyment of life while also increasing your productivity. Until then, be sure to take the time to do the first two steps outlined in Part 1 and 2...it will be well worth your time...I guarantee it!
* The Small Business Economic Indicators 2000 report produced by the Small Business Administration.