What simple tip can instantly free-up your time & energy?

written by MO.com Subject Matter Resource Erin Owen

YOU = ENGINE OF YOUR BUSINESS

First, when you own your own business, YOU are the heart of your business.

If you expect to generate better results (more creative, faster, more profitable, etc), that means you need to invest more in your personal well-being than any other part of your business.

BETTER RESULTS COME FROM DOING LESS

Second, working harder is NOT the answer. Sure, there’s always the idea of working smarter – and I spend a lot of time helping my clients develop better time management, personal organization, and communication skills. But, what I’m talking about here is actually working LESS. You need to build-in breaks throughout your day and take vacations regularly—not just when you have the time, money, opportunity, etc.

NEED BETTER TIME MANAGEMENT? INSTEAD TRY “MIND MANAGEMENT”

Third, instead of complaining that you don’t have enough time, change your relationship with time by changing your mind.

Time is an incredibly important and precious resource for the entrepreneur who is trying to get to market first, take advantage of current trends, and build a successful business.

Once you learn that time is actually a flexible friend that can support you in being more productive and making the change you want to see in the world, you’ll begin to say things like “time is on my side.”

But, know the secret: If you want to get back control of your time, it starts with taming that monkey mind of yours.

Here is one of many simple mindset and time management strategies I teach my clients that will bring you greater peace of mind, improve your ability to focus and show you how to reclaim control over your over-active monkey mind.

SAY NO TO OPPORTUNITIES THAT DO NOT SUPPORT YOUR VISION

This tip especially applies to you if you are a people pleaser. (Takes one to know one!) You must protect your most important resource, which is your time.

When you say yes – or even maybe – to opportunities that don’t 100% align with your idea of how you want to live your life or how you want to run & grow your business, then you are also wasting the time of the other people involved.

It’s simple: Say NO to opportunities that do not support your business. Do it for you, and do it for others.

There’s this idea that Like Attracts Like, or more specifically wherever you direct your attention, energy follows. It’s one of the foundational principles in my breakthrough coaching system. If you say YES or even maybe to what truly doesn’t make sense for you, then you’re asking for MORE of what doesn’t make sense to you.

Saying NO – in a polite and courteous way, of course – to the opportunities that do not support your vision is the only way to go. It’s not selfish. It’s simply the right thing to do. That will put a stop to all the questioning and playing out of different scenarios and really unnecessary thinking that ties up your mental energy.

It will also free-up all the time you’re wasting following leads you don’t want to follow, engaging in activities that are really at the heart of someone else’s passion, and distracting you from what you really want to be doing with your time and energy.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Saying NO to opportunities that do not support your vision frees up your mind to have quiet space. It gives you more capacity to engage in the kind of activities and relationships and opportunities that support the vision you have for your life and business.

Just imagine how much your productivity might improve from zero-ing in on your sweet spot – the things that excite you, give you joy, attract others to want to be part of your world.

And if this is really about your work or your business, this often brings in more income as well.

Implementing this tip will not only bring you greater peace of mind but also has the potential to bring you more prosperity in your life, simply by focusing your time, your thoughts, your energy on what is most important to you.

Say NO to that which does not support your vision. And watch what shifts for you.

In my next post, I’ll share another tip designed to help you generate better results without having to do more.