We surveyed our audience and regardless of size, everyone seemed to be dealing with the issue time. Across the board, everyone felt like they needed more time to get everything done and achieve their goals on YouTube. Do you feel that way? Well, we feel like this thinking is flawed. Today we are going to talk about that and give you a different perspective on how to grow without worrying so much about the time and being overwhelmed.
Consequences of Stress
Setting boundaries for yourself around your time is so important. I had to figure this out the hard way when I had a physical breakdown. ( You can hear all about that here .) But even if it doesn’t show up physically for you, stress affects relationships, mental health and our view of self worth. When it comes to figuring out this whole time situation, it’s so important to begin with understanding the purpose of your time.
Flawed Logic
People tend to focus on how to do more in less time. And while there is a place for that, I think a better focus would be how to do less that accomplishes more. This would involve focusing on rest and enjoying the fruit of our labors and not just working until you die. The goal can not be to just always get more.
The thought that if I had more time, I would accomplish more is not true. Studies have shown that people can accomplish “40 hours” of work in 25 hours of time, when forced to do so. So the data actually proves that you can accomplish more results with less time. (Now the stress level and quality of life might be pretty terrible. But the truth remains that “more time” is not the solution to your problem.)
Get the Big Picture
You really need to start with the big picture. What is your long-term goal? Once you have this in mind, you can see what the steps are to drive you forward to that goal. Instead of just thinking, “I want my business to make more money” and choosing to sacrificing your life for the business, let’s flip that. Decide what kind of life you want to live. How can you use your business to support that? Now, don’t just stop at travel and buying nice things. Those are all well and good, but when it all boils down, most people want peace and vibrant relationships in their lives. So figure out what you REALLY want and turn it around. If relationships are your primary goal, how can you structure your life so that your relationships are your primary goals and your business supports that?
The most successful individuals & organizations focus on long term goals rather than short-term gains. If your goal is subs, that goal will never be satisfied. We have worked with creators who wanted to hit 1 million. As soon as they did, they enjoyed it for .2 seconds and then wanted 2 million, then 5. There is no end to these short-term gains. They just don’t satisfy.
Having a clear view of your long-term goals will give you clarity over your short-term goals as well. Not having this is like putting together a puzzle without picture on the box. It’s frustrating and wastes a lot of time moving in the wrong direction. Plus, knowing that it’s pushing you towards your long-term goal will help you feel like you are winning along the way since you see the path laid out before you.
Having this long-term goal also allows you to prioritize what is most important. Without that, it can feel like everything is urgent and pressing in on you. You don’t know the difference between a distraction or an opportunity. No one takes time from you. You either let people take it from you or you chose to where you are giving your time. You are in control of your time one way or another. Make sure you recognize that.
Hiring Help
Some people try to create time by hiring a team. I have done this before. I thought, “If I just hire a video editor, I would have 15 hrs of my week back!” So I did it. And did I get 15 hrs of my week back? Nope. It got filled up almost immediately with other things. So I hired more people and my time still got filled up. There will always be a never-ending list of tasks that are demanding our time. Hiring can help you, but don’t jump to hiring a team. First determine what’s mission critical and what’s not. Evaluate where are you giving your time and are they necessary for you to do? I would encourage you to focus your time on working on the business, not just in the business. Hire other people to work in the business if it can allow you to work on the business. – Then actually do it.
You can also evaluate what sucks your energy? Maybe it’s editing or making thumbnails. If you can hire someone who loves that sort of work, then you will have more energy to dedicate to doing things that you excel at and make work more enjoyable.
The Benefit of Rest
When you prioritize rest and take the time to breathe, process and let your creative juices reenergize, your work is actually more productive. I was definitely a skeptic when it came to “self-care.” But self-care looks different for everyone. For me personally, it started with taking a few minutes after the kids were in bed and having a sugar free Zevia soda. (Total nerd, I know.)
But there are so many benefits to self care. Maybe you prioritize sleep, exercise, & social connection and that helps you avoid getting bogged down in tasks that are less important and it helps you cope with demands of daily life. You start doing more of the right things than just doing all the things to fill up your time. And your overall life experience is better. You get to enjoy why you are working anyway!
So maybe it’s doing a puzzle or sitting alone in quiet. Or maybe creating something purely for fun can be energizing. So play an instrument, build something, have focused fun time with your family or start stocking up on Zevias! Whatever brings you energy can be the self-care that you need that allows you to have the most production and enjoying your work.
Power Tip
If you are a person who feels like they can never stop moving, start with 5 minutes! Set a timer and force yourself to be still and sit in silence for just 5 minutes. Can you do it? Do you feel yourself trying to pick up your phone? Is your mind racing with what you feel like you should be doing? These are just more signs that you need this 5 minutes in your life.
My personal assistant, Katlyn, made this her goal last quarter and couldn’t believe her results. At first she felt like it was actually torturous, but after two weeks she noticed how much more patient she was with her family and how much more peaceful she felt. She started increasing the time and it has continued to be beneficial for her. So try it and see where it leads!
Keep changing lives!
Tim Schmoyer
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