Opninion: Time & Money, Part II Gift of time: Work less, achieve more

Last month, I shared my advice for being physically fit. You don't have to sacrifice your health for your wealth. And, you can be rich and have time to enjoy it.

This month, I'll address fiscal fitness. Here's the great news: You can work less and make more money.

When you are clear about what you want, you can be more discerning when it comes to what to do to get it. In other words, make more money in less time.

Break through time

Go to www.strategiccoach.com and meet Dan Sullivan. Dan is an executive coach who helps entrepreneurs be more productive.

Dan's No. 1 suggestion for effective time management is: take more days off.

Dan's audio program, called "The Time Breakthrough," describes the increasing demands on our time and the increasing speed at which we are required to make decisions. No wonder you are stressed!

He suggests that you organize your days into three categories: buffer days, focus days and free days.

Buffer days are errand days. Buffer days help you "set up" for focus days and free days. Focus days are days when you commit to spend 80 percent of your working time in focused, productive activity.

Free days are just that: free. Whatever you want to do. Wherever the wind takes you. Free days are free from e-mail and voicemail. No work. If work comes to mind, move it on out.

Dan maintains that the recharging value of free days pays off on the focus days. How nice to hear what we really want to hear: More free days make us wildly more productive.

Recall the last time you spent 12 hours straight at the office. Now, be frank. How many of those hours were spent in highly productive, focused activity? Perhaps none? How much of your last day off was spent doing work-related activities? Our half-hearted attempts lack energy and intent, causing us to waste so much time.

"The Time Breakthrough" requires that you streamline your time and activities. When we work too hard, we shoot our productivity in the foot.

Have you ever struggled to remember someone's name or been stumped by a trouble-shooting challenge? Out of fatigue or frustration, you finally decide to just let it go. Then, later, perhaps while you are asleep and dreaming, the answer suddenly comes to you. Consider the divine organizing power of the universe, all orchestrated without our conscious cooperation.

When we alternate between focused activity and letting go, we allow our subconscious, indeed the whole of the universe, to support our intentions.

So, take more free days. Do less, and accomplish more.

The gift of time

I believe you can have everything you want, if you are willing to let go of the stuff you don't want.

Quit talking about it. Quit doing things you don't like to do and don't want to do. Quit living your life to live up to someone else's measurement of success. Quit whining and complaining.

Start talking about what you want to be, do and have. Start acting on inspired promptings. Start enjoying the manifestations of your desires. Start each day with the words, "Thank you."

The most selfless thing you can do is to be selfish. Take care of your own dreams. Live life so that you make yourself proud.

The funny thing is that you will have plenty of time to share with others because you are not wasting time trying to figure out how to please everyone else.

Here's to working less and achieving more!

Ellen Rohr is an author and business consultant who offers systems for getting focused and organized, making money and having fun in business. Her latest book is "The Bare Bones Biz Plan." She can be reached at ellen@barebonesbiz.com.[[In-content Ad]]