I would do this or that if only I had the time. I would start this or go there, but I don’t have the time. If I had the time, I would go back to school.  It’s amazing how we tend to blame the lack of time for not accomplishing many of the things we desire to do in life. We put off starting a much-needed exercise program because of lack of time. Some people even blame the lack of time for not being able to spend more time with their children and love ones. This perceived lack of time often gets in the way of us becoming the best we can be.

Have you ever thought about how many hours there are in one week-seven days? From Sunday morning at12:00 am until the following Saturday evening at 11:59 pm, we all get 168 hours to do whatever we desire. Our level of success in life depends on how effectively we use our time. Author and speaker, John Maxwell says, “nothing separates successful people from unsuccessful people more than how they use their time.”   The difference between successful people who get things done and those who wish for things to get done is how they make use of their 168 hours. Personally, I make every effort to use my time wisely from the moment I awake in the morning until going to bed at night.  This enables me to live a disciplined and productive life accomplishing whatever I set my mind too. There is no wasted time in my days. Below are a few examples of how I made use of my time to accomplish goals for myself and to help others.

·     Donating 3 hours a week to community services as a mentor allowed me to make a  difference in a young             person’s life. 165 hours for myself.

·     Exercising 10 hours a week has enabled me to get into the best physical condition of my life. I run 50 miles,         strength train, do yoga during this time and still have 158 hours for other activities.

·    Studying 20 hours a week allowed me to earn a doctoral degree while working full  time,  helping to raise            two wonderful children, and being an engaged husband.  148 hours left to my disposal.  

·    Reserving 25 hours a week for family made a big difference in my being able to establish a strong                              relationship with my wife and children. Leaves me with 143 hours.

Collectively, these examples required only 58 hours of my time. There remained 110 hours for work, sleep, recreation, and other self-improvement activities.  Take away 45 hours for work, leaves 65 hours for sleep and who knows what.  I normally require only 5-6 hours of sleep per night (42 max).  This leaves me with 23 extra hours in my week.  My days start at 5:00 am and ends at 11:30 pm. In the book, 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think, author Laura Vanderkann says, “you can choose how to spend your 168 hours and have more time than you think. The book is filled with research based on real life stories of ordinary people who learned to maximize their time on the road to experiencing extraordinary personal success.

I encourage you to rethink how you organize use your time. We have enough time; what we do with it makes the difference. We all get 168 hours a week no matter where we live, whether rich or poor, or old or young, it’s up to us. There is no time for excuses and procrastination.

Written by Dr. RL Kight for Mind Power Solutions.  I would like your comments regarding what you will do to make better use of your time.