COVID-19 has affected millions of people in this country. From furloughs to remote work and stay at home orders to quarantines. Your time in quarantine can be a fun filled adventure in exploring Netflix or an exercise of patience as you try to refrain from stuffing your kids in the closet and locking the door. You could easily be experiencing both.
Life was already hectic on a normal day. Now many of us face the challenge to do more with less. How do we take this time to become more productive? How do we come out of the situation better than before? Perhaps we need to evaluate how we are spending our time.
Discipline
I decided to go on a fast to get clarity on how I should be spending my time. I learned that I needed to work on my discipline. My wife always tells me, “You are the hardest working person that I know.” Despite her affirmations, I knew that I could be doing more. A couple of weeks into the news that I would be losing my job; my mind echoed the same thought repeatedly…why was I not prepared? After all, I run a blog, which can generate passive income. The problem is that I was not posting regularly. I created a program to help indie artists get organized with their music, however, I was not promoting it. I attribute my non-action to a lack of focus on reaching my end goals.
“Only 8 percent of people actually achieve their goals” Inc.
You can attribute one’s inability to reach their goals to a number of factors.
- No plan – We come up with great ideas but fail to put a blueprint together to build the dream. Whether it is a business plan, business model canvas or steps written down that document how to reach the finish line, you need a strategy.
- Consistency – The road to success leaves many stranded without gas. There is motivation and then there is the daily routine that can become monotonous. The key is to start the day with intention. This could be in the form of a vision board that reminds you of your commitment to your end goal.
- Self-awareness – You need to know when you are too comfortable and when you are procrastinating. Think of the time we spend on our phones gaming and browsing social media profiles. You start in one place; then hours later find yourself trying to climb out of the rabbit hole.
Time Management
You can accomplish a number of activities in 24 hours. How you spend this time today will attribute to your success or failures tomorrow. How many hours in a given day can you allocate to planning? Our time is a commodity that we cannot afford to waste. This quarantine may be the perfect opportunity for you to lock in and learn something new.
I decided to spend my time in areas that will help promote personal and business related growth.
- I enrolled in a couple of Advanced Structured Query Language (SQL) certifications/courses. SQL is the language used to communicate with a database.
- I came up with a plan to release blogs twice a month, which will help increase followers and traffic. I also signed up with a couple ad agencies to ensure that I am monetizing my efforts.
- I restructured my independent artist program to foster a better end user experience and updated the pricing to reflect the current climate.
The number of hats that you wear will also affect how you allot your hours. I am a husband, a father, an employee, a business owner and an entrepreneur. Each comes with their own set of challenges and opportunities. The key is learning how to spend time in each area without neglecting another. Easier said than done.
“Control your day, instead of it controlling you” Michael Romer
You may find that in order to work on certain goals, that you must prioritize them in the morning or evening. When everyone else is sleep. This could mean a sacrifice to the number of hours you spend sleeping or a decision to go to bed earlier. Find a couple of hours of quiet time away from distraction and noise.
We are unable to control how long the quarantine will last. However, we do have the ability to take the time that we do have and turn it into something. Work on developing a new skill or put a plan in place to ensure that you will be financially ready for the future. Life has a way of changing in a moment’s notice so make sure every second counts.