Tuesday's Soapbox Rant

Oprah Winfrey built a media empire with it.

Bill Gates rules the computer world with it.

Lisa Price founded a $30 million dollar (and still growing) cosmetics company with it.

A friend of mine works full time, is involved in professional organizations and still manages to coach his son's baseball team with it.

What is it?

It = 24 hours in a day.

Can you believe it? These people managed to accomplish great things with the same number of hours in a day that we have!

(Stepping on the box) How do they do it when in OUR 24 hours, we can't make it to the gym, sit down and eat breakfast, finish our college degree, spend quality time with our spouse, write that book we've been talking about for years, go to our child's football game, dance recital, chess match, or PTA meeting, do all the work our company is paying us to do, take a relaxing bath, watch our favorite TV show, have dinner with our friends, take a vacation, or ____________? (you fill in the blank).

Is it poor time management? Nope. It's poor life management.

Why, why, why do people complain about their lack of time when THEY are the very one in complete control of it! (stomping on box)

If you don't have enough time in your day to accomplish what want, that's because of one of these things:

• You spend your time doing things you really don't want to do because you don't know how to say NO.


• You have placed a higher importance on doing things that may bring you material/financial success, but robs you of the time to do what you claim is important. (I say claim, because if you don't make the time for it, it's NOT important - no matter what you say).


• You spend your time doing what is expected of you versus what you want to do.


• You procrastinate because of fear (yes - some people are actually afraid of getting what they want!)

Time is the one commodity that is limited. We will all run out of it one day. That makes it precious and should not be wasted. Please note, I am not saying that we should be "busy" every second of the day. I am saying that we should spend it wisely, doing those things that give us joy - whether it is building a million dollar company, knitting blankets for cancer patients (as my mom has just started to do),relaxing with a good book, turning off the blackberry a couple of days a week (yep - I said it) or not missing one basketball game, spelling bee, beauty pageant or cheerleading competition.

IF you are wondering how to take control of your life (which, by default, gives you control of your time). IF you see yourself in 1, 2 3, or all of the above bulletpoints. IF you are ready to live for what's important to you. I'd like to recommend 2 books to help you move past the obstacles that rob you of your time.

Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez, Vicki Robin, and Monique Tilford.

How Did I Get So Busy by Valorie Burton.

Stepping down now...but I'll be climbing back up tomorrow!!!