You have this amazing side business or project you really want to make happen. But you also have a full time job, maybe a child and a household to run too. And you wonder: How do I make this happen?
Not everyone is fortunate to be able to work on their love project full time, right now. That doesn’t mean you should ditch it.
I love this quote from Steven Pressfield “You can be 100% committed even 10% of your time.”
A couple of weeks ago, this is exactly what we were discussing with my client. With a full time job with demanding schedule and quality time with family as a non-negotiable, the time for his business is naturally limited.
He puts in a couple of hours a week in the mornings, before his children wake up. Evenings are really not an option, due to two reasons. His mental energy is limited after full day of work and he wants to spend time with his family.
He wanted more time, while not compromising the important things. And this is where you might be at too. So lets have a look at this.
How can you create more time for the project you love, yet not compromising the truly important: time with family, time with your spouse or for example, sleep?
The first thing I do with my clients is to start thinking INNOVATIVELY. The obvious options can bring in only limited hours or are not just working, as explained in the case of evening hours. I start by asking this question:
“When and where else we could find the hours you need?” followed by a question I heard Marie Forleo asking: “If the doctor told you that unless you find a certain time a day, you will die. Would you find that time?” Most likely, your answer would be YES. Yes, you would find the time if failing to do so would mean you die.
We look both at the time and a venue for the work. We start talking. I throw in other ideas that my other clients or myself tried and that worked for us. By the end of the session, we have a new plan.
This same client came up with idea going to a library twice a month for a couple of hours. The next session we met, he was excited to share his win. He went to a library on Monday evening and spent there a couple of extremely productive hours making a significant dent in the tasks for his side business.
The second thing I talk about with my clients is the NECESSITY OF TRADE-OFFS. Yes, not talked about often enough. If you want to hear it or not, we are not superheroes. We cannot expand the amount of hours in a day. After reviewing all the pockets of possible time and putting important in front of the urgent, but not important, you may confirm, that you just don’t have more time for this. Right now, you may have not the time. This is not forever, things might change in favour of you having more time one day.
Accept that, don’t judge yourself, don’t compare yourself with others who have more time and put your full focus into the hours you have available. Again, you can be 100% committed even if it is one hour a week or 15 minutes a day.
I hope this was helpful. What is the one insight you have from hearing all this? What is the one action you will take right now?
If you need, I’m here to support you. Reach out to me and let’s have a conversation how can I support you and if we would want to work together on making your dreams reality.
