Have you ever been in love? Feeling so good and totally “lost” in your love. Wanting to spend every minute of the day with them. Hours kissing would feel like an instant. You changed your perception of time.
All of my clients have time deficits. There never seem to be enough hours in the day. And that’s what they tell themselves (and me) on repeat.
Telling yourself how busy you are and don’t have time emphasizes that your time is limited.
This in itself makes time go faster. Because time to slow down? Stop saying you don’t have time and change your perception of time. Here’s how to:
1. Make a drastic change to slow down time
When I decided to focus on Amaze Yourself, my business purely, I made a drastic change in my business. I stopped working in the business of another coach, which was a major part of my business in all aspects. It took me ages, so it felt like, to fully embody my new set-up. In reality, it was a couple of weeks.
When you want to slow down time, make a change. We lose track of time by doing the same thing over and over again.
Want your business to grow? What’s the one thing you’ve wanted to do forever yet haven’t done it?
2. Try the four hour week
What has truly helped me win more time is working less. Yes, you read that right. By drastically reducing my working hours, taking Wednesdays off, and spending most of my afternoons with Nua, my bouncing ball, I limit the time I work.
It allows me to focus on what matters truly, and when I work, I am fully there. Stealth mode on, and I get so much more done.
Ask yourself, what would I rather no longer do, especially something that takes up a lot of your time. Then, decide to stop doing it and limit the time you ‘wasted’ working on it.
By stopping this task, you’ve also freed up time to do the one thing you always wanted to do in your business.
3. Break your routine, embrace novelty
Ever drove home and then, upon arrival thinking how did I get here? That’s routine for you. It makes you forget time. Want to slow down your time and create more of it? Break your routine.
Take a different route home. Have a longer lunch break and soak up some outside air. Take a call while walking in the park instead of sitting behind your desk.
Do something different, and you’ll not alone win time; you’ll feel better too.
4. Life-threatening situations change time
When I was pregnant, I drove in my love’s new Alfa Romeo, and at the end of our street, I saw another car coming, and I knew it was going to hit me. Time slowed down.
I had so many thoughts in my head: the baby, the car, oh no, my love, and it was as if I could see the car slowly but surely as in fragments approaching me before it finally hit me. Time slows down in those moments.
When you’re fully focused, mindful, and present, and completely aware of all that’s going on, you change your perspective of time. All else is blocked out and doesn’t matter anymore.
It’s why my colleagues at PwC used to wear headphones in the open office environment to get that focus.
What can you do in your environment to become more mindful and focused on the job at hand? Give it all your attention, and you’ll win time.
5. Disconnect and work smarter
A lot of time can be won by working smarter. For example, ever noticed that when you have only a few tasks to do, they still take up your whole day?
That’s because your perception of time is at play. Not a lot to do? Oh, I’ve got all day. So that’s why there is a saying:
“When you want something done fast, give it to a busy person.”
Work smarter and set yourself a deadline.
Better yet, take the afternoon off and do something fun with someone else. Best way to make sure you’ll get the work done on time, and you’ll win time.
Equally so, when you don’t feel like work, because you’re tired or drained, but you decide to push through, it all takes so much longer as well.
It’s because you want to do something else, rest, go out, take a walk, read – anything but work, and yet you tell yourself you can’t, if you have no time.
This is when you truly need to disconnect and take a break. Go into nature, recharge. When you come back, your energy levels are up, and you’ll be able to do more in less time.
In summary, Be the CEO of your life. Create more time by changing your perception of time
PS When you’re looking for more time, and you want to get more work done, join my MasterMind ‘It IS Your Time’. Doors close soon, and it’s going to be epic. Send me a reply to chat about it,
Yvonne has a vast coaching experience from executives to teams to ambitious business owners.
Through her personal and business coaching programs she has helped dozens grow their businesses while drastically reducing their working hours.
And when Yvonne is not coaching, you can find her indulging in beach walks, and a sparkly glass of champagne.
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