Don’t Just Spend Time; Take Time
There’s always something to do, right? Somewhere to be. Someone to meet. Commitments to fulfill. We all have our reasons, but the one thing we need to ask ourselves is this: is this really taking me toward my idea of success?
Success can cover anything from financial abundance to happiness in relationships and family. But we’re really looking for common underlying themes no matter what the category. Some of these themes are peace of mind, a sense of calm; for things to slow down so we can actually enjoy our lives.
In other words, what we’re looking for is the exact opposite of what a lot of people typically experience: the hectic lifestyle so many are living. The irony in all this: people live hectic lives in the first place in order to be successful—to be happier and more comfortable at a future time—so then they can finally relax, slow down and enjoy a sunset every now and then.
But when does that moment come? Next week? Next vacation? Next year? When we finally reach a long-standing goal? When we retire?
It becomes a never-ending cycle of work for play; only a lot of people forget to actually take time to play now! When work is over, then errands. And when errands are over, then it’s obligation A, then B, then it’s time to just crash and get ready to do it all over again.
No doubt, hard effective work can pay off, but at what price?
We need to include a new definition about what success means, one that speaks to the need for more balance; taking more time to be with those we care about; more time for play, more time to take care of ourselves and do the things we really want to do, not just what we feel like we have to do.
Why do so many people “work” their lives away and busy themselves to death?
Why? One word: FEAR!
Fear that they’re not doing enough, or for that matter fear of not being good enough. Fear that if they don’t spend enough time on results-driven activity, then they won’t get anywhere.
The mind can be our greatest ally or our greatest obstacle, striving to protect the Ego that above all else wants safety, security, and making sure we have “enough”. But if you’re always looking for “enough,” you never get to experience it, do you? You’re always doing, always going after it, as if it’s not possible that enough is enough right now.
Naturally, I’d be the first one to say that finances and your career are important, but not at the expense of your physical, mental, and emotional health. Not at the price of your sense of peace, your family or enjoying your life.
Don’t just spend time; take time!
EXERCISE:
List your values—what’s most important to you? If you didn’t have to work, how would you spend your time?
In order to have more time for yourself, how could you leverage yourself (i.e. earn money while you sleep)? Who can you delegate some of your time-consuming tasks to?
Then adjust your schedule for the next month by assigning specific times you take for yourself. Block out these times first. Consider them appointments and keep them as you would any other.
I want to hear from you now. Can you relate to the challenge of the “never-ending cycle of work for play?” If you had to create a definition about what success means to you right this minute, what would it be? (You can always tweak it later, but I want to know what comes to your mind first–what does your gut tell you? Declare it here in the comments . . . and then go live it!
My dear Harv,
I am 8-10 months per year on the sites around the world. My wife live in Argentina, my children live in Croatia. My dream is make my home in Croatia with my wife and my children. This is my life. Anyway I have time for communication with my children, I have time what I spend with them when I am on this part of the world, I have time for everyday chat with my wife. I am at home between my travels and every year I go with my wife on holidays and we have our long term plan for our life…And what is my list of priority?
-traveling with my wife knowing new places and people (in some way I am doing this now by my job and I am paying for that ! )
-I can imagine that my incoming come also in the time when I sleep, and I want that, and I am working on that and I hope it could be in some next years
-be with my children any time when they need me, because they are in the age of 13(son), 23(daughter), 33 (son) and 3 (granddaughter), to help them with my experience, with my love, with my money
-learn learn (upgrade my knowledge of computer,upgrade my knowledge of finance market, licensee for private air plane,……………)
-my hobbies;snow skiing, diving, jogging, climbing…..
Can I start now?!
Sincerely
Petar
Success is loving myself completely by clearing limiting beliefs so that I can help others progress to higher levels. And when I love I do so genuinely, freely and with passion. By coming from a powerful source of strength KNOWING I have the ability to give to my family and showing them by example the love THEY are so synergistically we can turn on more lights.
“Success” to me is living life on your own terms, it's taking control of the steering wheel, and dictating what you really want to achieve, instead of being at the whim, and constantly responding to all that's around you. In addition, I'd rather fail at doing something that I love, than succeed at something that I hate. That is the meaning of success – doing whatever it takes to make yourself happy.
Some people love their work so much that they would spend every waking moment on it. I think these people need to stick their head out of the whole once in a while and smell the breeze. I love what I do as well, I spend some good amounts of time on it. I don't feel like I'm working when I'm doing what I love. However I've come to the realization that the pretense of “some day when I'm rich I'll take a vacation”. That day might come, but the habit of being a workaholic may be so ingrained that all the joy of life will be filtered into work, and nothing else. This is tragedy, there's so much more to life that just work, even if you love what you do. Like you said BALANCE is key, it's really the key to happiness as well.
Cheers,
Clinton Skakun
Success is happening right now!!!!
Success is simply living with your passion, knowing what u exactly want in ure live and contribute what u have to others
Success for me is: Getting in the zone/experiencing flow on a regular basis.
For me that is doing meaningful work that requires me to get out of my comfort zone. I'm feeling so high doing that.
Or:
Connecting with someone I like for several hours. My brain gets flooded with feel good emotions during that time and for 24 hours afterwards. If I get that, I feel successful.
Success, to me, is making progress towards a meaningful goal so that when you go to bed, you sleep like a champ!
Ditto!
Ditto!
What a great post! Success to me: Achieving harmony within all areas of my life, always striving to do more and be more; always striving to learn and become more with authenticity and joy every day.
I've had to rethink about my most important values this year. It's no longer just being ethical and find faith and confidence and to do for money what puts me in my perfect element and in play. I've realized my most important value now is to learn how to love and appreciate, first and foremost, my daughter and then the rest of my family and friends.
If I didn't have to work -I'd be reading up my anti-library, learn to play the piano better, learn the guitar. I'd draw and paint and make things. I do have enough time for myself now, I've adjusted my schedule over the last 3 years and now work less than 10 hours a week without compromising on my lifestyle. I feel like a retiree. 🙂 I'm spending 2010 centering myself again.
Things are a bit slow now in terms of racing towards reaching new financial goals but this pace was what I had worked towards before resetting my financial thermostat – to be able to sustain my lifestyle and have the free time to focus and observe my thoughts better in order to develop a more appreciative and loving relationship towards my daughter.
My definition of success is to be surrounded by people I love and appreciate who feel the same towards me. I've been blazing a trail towards some trophy-prize but I realize I don't want to get there knowing I've burned everyone who cared for me. Success means to be able to break the conditioning and environment holding me back without breaking those bonds of love and friendship.
Leverage for me is the key word. How can I energetically leverage my time. Harv is a perfect example of people who are earning so disproportionately to their individual action. Yet the wealth is flowing to them. Jan and I were in Orlando FL speaking to a group of about 15 lawyers and accountants on Attracting Perfect Customers and we thought that was great. We walked down the hall and there was a room being set up for 1,500 people. It was an introduction to The Millionaire Mind…and Harv was not even going to be there.
Now that is BEE-ing in relationship and leveraging your assets at it's best.
Harv, you move and inspire me. Thank You.
A lot of people (including me) are guilty because they do not know what to do by doing nothing anymore. Confronted with the time of silence and doing nothing, people often times find it uncomfortable. Restlessness sets in prompting people to busy themselves with something. The element of time is an important part of being successful for me. To feel that you still own your time is part of my definition of success.
What success for me:
(1) no need to work for someone or for money
(2) enjoy a coffee / movie everyday
(3) financially free
(4) help children in the world
The success for me is being free financially and emotionally.
GENUINE HAPPINESS – that's success!
Success for me is the state of true genuine happiness. Not pretending to be happy, but being truly happy. That state can be reached by giving sincere love and receiving it from the closest people. By being truly grateful and appreciating for what you have today. Financial freedom helps give and receive love from the closest, and appreciate what we have right now.
I control my time each day. Investing in me makes
life more enjoyable and fullfilling.
is this thing real
Love it. I am so happy for you. It sounds like you are shining like a star!! Your daughter is very lucky and I'm sure she thinks so to with bonding from her Dad.
Keep up the good progress!
Ziniz : You'll get there. If it's any encouragement to you, I have (1)(2) and (4) and a semi(3).
Have you ever thought about helping children as a business? It solves all four problems at once. I would say there are 4 general approaches : education, rights, health and relief efforts. Choosing either one as a business you can roll your profits into funding other approaches. Even children outside warzones have a right to reach their full potential. The business element will not taint your intentions as long as your intentions are genuine and sincere.
Hi Harv. I've read your book 3 times to reprogram my mind into bigger things. Thanks to you, I've decided to spend my extra time after work to work on my blog business. Good things are on their way! No more higher paying job for me!!
Keep it up.
To be born in a poor family, grew up without mom by my side from the age of 8th. Now to be a single mom with 5 year olds son sometimes makes me really hate myself.
For long time, I fixed with a thought that it was my destiny. All these unhappy things happened as a matter of fact to me.
But now, I understand that, reasons are always reasons. Unfortunately, all reasons that we said out are always true. To get over the reasons, we will find the way that lead our lives to happiness.
– A seaside house with my beloved son surrounded with a small gadern
– A good educational enviroment for my son in the future
– Capable to show my filial respect to my parents by supporting a more comfortable living condition.
All these things can be achieved because now I have a new light in my heart, a willingness in my mind, a strong and constant determination in my actions.
Thank you very much for your writtings.
Yours sincerely,
–
Success is to be able to enjoy financial freedom and have blessed relationships with people that you love. It is using your influence responsibly to impact society for the better. Be out of the rat race and actually do the things that matters to you, of greater impact.