The 3rd Obstacle Business Owners listed in their responses was ‘I’m Out of Time!’

To get caught up, read Obstacle #1 – Info Overload and #2  – Distractions

You’re primarily out of time (in my opinion) because your time is being stolen from you! You always suspected it…someone else is taking my time!! So I call this obstacle:

Time Stealers

All those little demands on your time are as pleasant as being pecked to death by a chicken! (Feel that? Great visual, huh?)

They’re little nips that irritate you at first and then they really start to hurt and you start to lose BIG chunks of you. Eventually it’s a miserable death (of your dreams, your goals and your health.)

Is that just me or can you relate to that too?

This is the similar to “money stealers.” (Don’t even get me started. I have a whole list of those, too.)

Some of these are going to hit a nerve with you and some might not apply. I’ll be as comprehensive as possible 😉

• Incoming phone calls
• Text messages
• Emails
• Social Media
• Skype & Instant Messaging
• People on your team (Kind of counter-intuitive but it’s true.)
• Blogs
• Technology
• Errands
• Kids/Spouses/Parents
• Jobs (or Clients)
• Love Life
• Television
• Meal time
• Drive Time
• Meetings without a clear purpose
• Networking without a clear purpose

These are the top ones I’m aware of…but truthfully, anything incoming, unscheduled and without a clear purpose qualifies.

It seems harmless enough at first…I’ll pop into my emails, I’ll grab that call really quick and before you know it – your day (week, month, quarter) has dissolved into thin air! Stolen by the time stealers!

• But, Carrie – we have to eat!
• But, Carrie – the phone is part of my business!
• But, Carrie – you use social media extensively!

RIGHT!! Lots of the above are necessary. Absolutely! But we are going to learn in the next post about Time Stretchers. Making the things above work for you instead of against you and how not to live the life of a self-sacrificial workaholic.

Some of you think you have to give up everything in order to grow your business. That’s not true. I have a very fun and fulfilling life.  You can have your cake and eat it too. It’s just a matter of knowing how to plan it out and manage it. How to be PROactive and not REactive.

Be mindful of the 3 or 4 that are the biggest culprits for you. None of this is brain surgery, it’s just being self-aware.

“Yep, the phone just rang. I picked it and it just stole 30 minutes out of my day.” Now you are aware and can schedule differently.

Time Stretcher Example: I stopped taking incoming phone calls personally. They go to an office phone. I do all my coaching, interviews, networking calls and the like by prescheduled appointments on the days that I set.

Let me make one BIG conclusion for you. If it’s stealing your time and you’re working for yourself then it’s taking money out of your wallet.

Tomorrow’s post we’ll talk about solutions and what I call Time Stretchers! But today, leave a comment below about some of the ‘stealers’ that are common for you and how you are going to be more aware and schedule around those!