Take Back Your Time

How often have you said this? There’s

just not enough hours in the day! If I only had more time I would do it for sure! I just don’t have the time to (insert thing you really just don’t want to work on here). Chances are you’ve said and heard others say these things time after time your entire life. And if you ever take the time to talk to someone about when they can fit whatever it is they don’t have time for into their schedule, chances are you’ve heard their excuses in why none of that works.

The bottom line is you’re not making it a priority. If it was important enough you wouldn’t just find the time, you’d make the time. The sooner we all realize that the better we’ll all be. If I told you could have the dream job, the money you desire, the body of your dreams, the new skill you’d love to have, and all you had to do was to show up at some point during the day and take it, you’d show up.

The problem is that getting what you want doesn’t take showing up one time, it takes showing up over and over again, and that is why most people don’t do get what they truly want in life. Most people settle for what they think is “normal” because that’s what the people around them do as well. Chances are if you know someone who is super successful at something, you probably write it off as luck or great genetics or whatever lie you make up in your brain to make you feel better that someone else has what you want and you don’t.

Everyone on this planet has the same amount of hours in a day, days in a week, weeks in a month and months in a year. The difference is not the amount of time available to you. There’s a great quote by Jim Rohn that comes to mind, “It’s it’s the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we go.” So why is it that some people can have so much success and happiness while others love their entire lives going through the motions, never doing anything truly meaningful, never doing any of the things they claim they’d love to do. The difference is what you do with the time available to you. Don’t misunderstand me, if you’re happy with where you are at and are content spending your free time scrolling on Instagram, watching Netflix and shopping on Amazon, then that’s great. But if you’re the kind of person who says they want to get in shape, look for new jobs, learn an instrument, strata reading, improve their quality of life but you don’t have time then you’re lying to yourself.

Do you wake up with just enough time to get ready and get to work or get the kids to school? How about waking up and hour earlier to get that workout in, practice the piano, meditate, (insert thing you’re putting off here). I love music as much as anyone, but how about instead of listening to the same monotonous pop on the radio every time you’re in your car, you put on a podcast that’s geared towards something you want to do or learn about? Be more intentional with your time.

I once heard author, investor Ed Thorp on Tim Ferris Show Podcast talking about what he calls “scrap time.” This is a concept that I have really taken advantage of in the past 4 years to attempt to achieve my goals and advance my hobbies, but I never had a name for it, thanks Mr. Thorp! Scrap time is all the extra time you have during the day that doesn’t seem like it’s enough to get anything done. For example, you’re at the waiting room at the doctors office, do you spend the 15-30 mins scrolling on TikTok or do you bring the book you’ve been meaning to read for 7 years and get a chapter in? You got to your kids school 10 mins early for pickup, so you research patents for that business idea you had months ago but never do anything about or go on Amazon and buy that thing you didn’t need? Ever been at the playground with your kids and seeing that lunatic dad doing dips or pull-ups on the equipment? I’ve become that guy, scrap time at its finest! Whether it’s learning a new language, picking up an instrument, reading, starting a side business or learning how to cook, there are hours of scrap time left on the table every week for you to take back and do something with.

The time is there for any one of us to do what we want and achieve what we set out to do. Are you going to seize the time that is available to you or let another day pass by until you wake up one day and it’s too late.

“I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.” - Lucille Ball