Over the years, I’ve identified 7 “Thieves of Time” and in this post, I want to highlight one of them. I call it: “Married To Your Way”. If you prefer to read, keep going. Otherwise, you can watch this lesson too! See the video above. Whatever you prefer.
First, I’ll share a story, give you a summary of what this “thief” looks/sounds like in action and a tool to work to overcome them. Let’s dive in.
This is a client story and for the sake of keeping confidentiality, we’ll give this person a fictitious name, how about: Taylor. Taylor is a successful realtor who finds herself very very busy and wants more time. After learning more about her business and the activities she’s engaged in, I realized the thief of “married to your way” was robbing her.
During a coaching session, she proudly shared with me that she was crafting her own closing gifts and delivering them to her clients. Very sweet and beautiful, full of love. I mean she really went above and beyond with this.
It wasn’t easy to inquire about this part of her process, but as her coach I had to. From my point of view, it was glaringly obvious. crafting those gifts is a time suck and big one.
We ran the numbers and found that 50-55 hours, every year, was being used for making those gifts. What could she do with another whole work week? At the top of her list: rest, take time for herself.
But she loooooves making those gifts. They were “her thing” and she had been doing that for her clients for a very long time. How could she possibly stop doing making them? The struggle was real.
After a few conversations about the purpose of the gift and making a shift that still delivered on the purpose, she began to let go and explore other options.
Ultimately, she found a vendor who could create something just as beautiful and as full of love. The vendor delivers it right to her doorstep for Taylor to present to her client at closing, saving her precious hours! An entire workweek back for her to use as she wishes.
Great job, Taylor!
How do you know if you’re falling victim to the “married to your way” time thief?
The biggest indicator of this sneaky thief is that there are alternatives to achieving the same or similar end result, but you are holding on tightly to your way of getting there. A suggestion for a change is immediately dismissed, that’s if the suggestion even has the opportunity to appear. Often, you’re so convinced that “this is the way it has to be” that an alternative doesn’t have space to come into your awareness.
Being married to your way of doing things is costing you. Costing you time and likely costing you relationships as well. They go hand in hand.
If you’re still with me, chances are you know there’s another way. Here’s what you do can do.
I call this tool “Big Mac or Dish Rack”. Consider this: when it comes to the outcome you want, is it like a “Big Mac” or a “Dish Rack”. What do I mean? Well, a Big Mac is made in a very specific way. 2 all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame bun. Whereas a dish rack…it’s purpose is the dry dishes. That’s all. No matter how you put the dishes in there, they’re going to dry. And if you’re already finding a way to make me wrong about this…I want you really inspect how “your way” in getting in you way!
It’s time to apply this lesson and tool into your business. Move forward by looking at your systems, process and daily habits in your business. The reality is they are all taking your time. Another reality is that they don’t all have to take as much time as they do now. Is there a way to iterate, that saves time and also produces the same or similar end result? More times than not, the answer is yes.
Want more? There are 6 other thieves of time. I discuss them and give strategies to overcome them in my free guide “The 7 Thieves of Time”. Download your copy HERE.
As always, thanks for reading! I hope you found this lesson valuable and will begin to implement right away!
To your success,
Heather
