Julian Scadden

In business, we hear a lot of quotes about time: “Time is money.” “Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.” “Never leave ’till tomorrow which you can do today.” All good, albeit, time-worn thoughts, and if they work for you, great.

What I would ask you to do right now, is focus on your time. As the leader of your team, your company, your family, your community, what do you spend your time doing? If you were to do everything you want to do in those roles, do you have enough time? Nope. None of us do. Let’s think about how meaningful your time is, and how critical it is for you to set aside time to prioritize time.

What? That’s right. If you don’t take the time to prioritize, then you are at the mercy of endless time thieves. So how do you do this?

It is important to schedule a “sacred hour” in your week. This is a closed-door, uninterruptable time for you to plan. You can take this hour at work, or at home, or even another offsite location. This time is just as beneficial in your personal life as in your professional life. 

The ONLY rule for your “sacred hour” is that others know NOT to disturb you, at all. It was explained to me by one contractor as, “If the building catches fire, I’ll find my way out – don’t disturb me.” Got it!

So after you take the plunge and schedule this time, what do you do then?

• Start by identifying the issue needing your attention most and gives you the biggest return, and then set your goal.

• Create a plan you can break into smaller weekly goals that help work toward the long-term goal for that issue. 

• Make notes of the action steps needed and delegate those to the responsible parties. 

• Repeat for additional issues if you have time.

I know one contractor who takes this hour at 10 a.m. every Monday. He keeps a list of his top three priorities, and he updates his goals, plans, and actions for each. This process keeps him and his team focused on the top items impacting the success of the business.

It’s important to take time to think, but make sure you write out a real plan, and most importantly act on your thoughts and plans.

When do you find time to think and plan for your business? Share your stories with all of us below.