Last weekend I finally published my ebook, Via.
Via, in Latin, means: the way.
I wanted to show students how to learn Latin, instead of telling them why they should learn Latin.
Part of the game of learning Latin is a time management game.
A childhood friend of mine, Robbie Grayson, founder of traitmarker.com, turned me on to the writings of Chris Brogan a couple of years ago. In his most recent essay, Chris Brogan chides us for claiming that we are “too busy”. He then shows us how to free up some time.
You might just use some of the extra time to study Latin!
Here’s Chris:
One of the biggest lies we tell ourselves and others, Dwane, is that we are “too busy.”
You’re not. We’re not. Pull up a mug of something and let’s talk about it. I’ve got a nice hot cup of cocoa, because I’m snuggled into a cab in the woods in Maine with Jacq. What are you drinking?
You’re Not Too Busy
“I wanted to sign up for your webinar, but I had something scheduled at the same time.” I get that email a lot. I reply the same way every time: “We record them so you can push play whenever it suits you.” Nearly no one replies to that.
“Thanks for agreeing to do my podcast, Chris. I know you’re very busy.” I get that almost every time I’m a guest on someone’s show. I usually reply the same way every time: “I’m not too busy.”
I go to the gym almost every day. Sometimes twice. How can you do that and raise kids and run your companies? You do what everyone does: you find time for what matters.
“You reply to every email people send you?” Pretty much. “But aren’t you too busy to do that?” No. It’s an honor to receive emails from people you serve in some way. It’s an opportunity. “But how do you find the time?”
Time. Found.
Stop watching Game of Thrones.
Stop reading blogs to “stay caught up.”
Stop over-volunteering.
Stop scheduling your days to 100%. (I schedule mine to 40%).
Stop giving people “pick your brain” lunches.
Cut meetings to 20 minutes.
Cut out phone calls unless you really really really want the call.
Make “real time” time your most expensive. Encourage email/chat/whatever.
Quit everything that isn’t core to your mission and your passions.
Give your family back some of this newfound time.
Time is everywhere, my friend.
You’re Not “Too Busy.” You’re Unfocused or Uncommitted
When people say they have no time, they’re either chasing too many balls or they’re not honoring the commitments they’ve made to themselves and their larger mission.
Let’s all rise up and ban “too busy” from our language. Instead, when someone asks how you’ve been, answer “Great!” or “I’m really working on what’s important” or “I’m feeling a bit down, but I’m optimistic.” Or whatever. But not, “I’m too busy.”
Actions
This one’s easy. Do a time audit. Figure out what needs trimming and quitting and removing and adjusting. Find the hell out of some more time. You’ve got it. You just aren’t protecting it well enough. Turn that audit into a core set of reminders, a LIST, or what you REALLY need to be doing at any given time.
Want a quick way to focus?
- Work on what needs doing.
- When that’s done, create something that can help others in some way.
- When that’s done, connect two people. There’s someone you know that can help someone else you know.
Sound easy? Not really. But simple. Yes, yes it is.
Someone you should know
I just started a new podcast (not yet in iTunes) on the Rainmaker platform and my first two guests were Andreas Forsland from Smartstones and David Baeza from Vine Rangers. Both guys are doing some really neat work with technology to solve some real world problems in interesting ways. You should listen to the episode and then if they’re interesting, find Andreas and David via their Twitter accounts and say hi!
And if you want to start your own podcast? I made you a Podcast Jumpstart mini-course. You’ll love it!
See you Sunday!
–Chris…
