Monday quote:
You will never ‘find’ time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.”
~ Charles Bruxton
Pickles and wine - yes. Time - no luck.
I took a Harv Eker seminar a few years ago, and it was excellent. He covered a lot of ground in a 3-day session, and one of the concepts that really struck a chord with me is that we each have our own favorite thoughts/excuses that we use all the time. Mine is “I just don’t have enough time”.
This thought must run through my head a zillion times a day, and I use it as a reason (excuse) to avoid many things. Writing articles, exercising, going to Toastmasters, remembering people’s birthdays, sending out press releases, eating healthy, updating the database, ironing, and many more!
As excuses go, this is a pretty good one. 
It’s highly versatile, and can be applied to almost anything. It involves a universal concept that everyone can relate to. I’ve got a great story to go with it, so it’s very convincing (to myself and others)!
Lost time is never found again
But as the quote says, we will NEVER find time for anything! That means using this as a universal excuse is a huge limitation. Once you get into the habit of the “time excuse”, it’s so easy to keep ruling things out, instead of finding a way to get them done.
Bruxton is right. Instead of finding time, we have to make time, and that’s all a matter of priorities and efficiencies. Removing useless time suckers, delegating what we can, and deciding what the big things are that we are going to make time for, no matter what.
One thing that drove this home was discovering Obama’s regular exercise schedule. If he finds time to work out every day, how on earth can I say I don’t have time to? It sounds pretty lame in that context, doesn’t it?
So now I can’t say that. The standard excuse just doesn’t work like it used to, and I’ve got to acknowledge the real truth. Either I do it, or I choose not to. Either I make the time for it, or I don’t. It’s not up to the giant time god, it’s up to me!
Do you have a standard excuse that you use regularly? Is it serving you, or limiting you? Is there a better way of looking at things?
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There are so many things in life that we tend to put off — just “don’t have the time now”. Maybe next week / month / year / decade. Are there things you’ve been putting off way too long? Remember — you’ll never find the time, you have to make it.
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7 responses so far ↓
1 sonica // Mar 21, 2009 at 8:52 pm
People have a habit of avoiding tasks which are unpleasant or boring by taking the easy way out of not having sufficient time. We always find time to work on jobs which we like. Same is true for those who wisht avoid exercising or cleaning up their wardrobe. If you set high priority for those tasks which you are unable to do, you will surely be able to devote time and finish them.
2 Deanna Keahey // Mar 22, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Hi Sonica – You’re right about avoiding the things we don’t want to do, but that’s not all. I also end up avoiding a lot of the things I DO want to do, though, for the same reason. Today I “didn’t have time” to finish some articles I’m working (avoiding), but also “didn’t have time” to go hiking (which I would have loved).
3 Jim // Mar 29, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Yes I seem to find myself doing the same thing blaming everything on not having enough time, that is a very bold maneuver that take the initiative to do this instead of being lazy like the rest of us.
4 Deanna Keahey // Apr 2, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Jim – I don’t see it as “not having time” excuse = “laziness”. Lazy is one thing I know I’m not — I work a LOT! Somehow this reasoning never shrinks the workload.
5 venkat // Apr 25, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Blaming every thing on time is just normal human tendency. If you could allocate time for everything that you need to do you will surely find time to complete it.
6 lv handbags // Jan 8, 2010 at 11:37 pm
Thank u for your share.
Life is like a tea table, with bitter cups placed all over it.
7 cure lice // Jan 12, 2010 at 9:51 pm
Time is really important, but having the so called “wasted time” does not mean that it is wasted, you gain something even from wastes
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