So, you’ve decided you want to do something new! You want to pursue a new hobby, a new promotion, a new relationship. That’s awesome! But of course, you’ll have to make some room in your life, which means you have to get some things off your plate. But how?
Here are some options:
- Reduce. If you currently spend 10 hours a week doing something, can you accomplish most of what you do now with only 4 hours? Chances are good that you can – if you truly restrain yourself to that 4 hour block. Work tends to expand to fill the time you give it, so chances are that whatever you were doing has “expanded” to fill ten hours.
- Delegate. With a little up-front investment in training time, you may be able to get someone to take over a task or three. Especially if those tasks would benefit them (like an employee learning new skills and getting new opportunities to shine), this is a great option.
- Combine. Can you put two things together? Let’s say you like to watch a particular show every day, and you also want to work out every day. Can you do those at the same time? How about taking a walk with a friend, to get social time and exercise time together?
- Buy out. In the amount of time it takes me to mow my lawn, I can earn much more money than it costs to have someone else mow it. So as often as I can, I buy out the tasks that don’t bring me particular joy. Time is more valuable to me than saving a few bucks by shoveling my own snow.
- Cut. Finally, if all else fails, some things just have to go. Everything has a season, and maybe this task’s season has ended in favor of whatever new thing you want to do.
Do the things that bring you joy, and spend your time wisely!
The Opportunity Machine 