How To Create Time Freedom

Summary

Time is one of the few things that everybody gets the same amount of every single day.

It is easy to look at someone else, and say that they have it easier, have more time to do what they want, or more freedom than us.

We need to be very careful thinking like that. When we start to think "nobody understands how hard life is for me" we tread on dangerous ground. It isn't helpful, and it isn't even true.

When you take 7.8 billion people, and all the other people who have lived throughout human history. There probably are or have been a lot of people who have faced very similar, or more difficult circumstances than us, and managed to get through it.

When we think we are the only ones to have faced such circumstances, and nobody understands what we are going through, it shows a lack of perspective, and a touch of narcissism.

When we look at someone else's job, business or life and think "Well, It is easier for them because they don't have to deal with..."Maybe they don't, maybe they do have more resources, and maybe they have a whole other level of responsibilities, challenges, frustrations, and things to deal with that we just don't see from outside their life.

The one thing they all have in common is that each of them has only 168 hours in a week to do everything they need to do, and anything they want to do.

Often the difference between those who feel a total lack of freedom and personal agency, and those who feel comfortable, or those who feel free and vibrant in their lives comes down to beliefs, choices, and habits.

Viktor Frankl, psychologist, and former concentration camp prisoner, said that "Human Freedom is not a freedom from, but a freedom to"

When our circumstances are dire and we feel caged-in, we still have one last freedom.

"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." – Viktor Frankl.

Remember this. Be intentional about choosing your response.

Widen the space if you must. Don't give up your power, your growth, your freedom easily.

“You can do almost anything, but you cannot do everything.” -David Allen, and many others.

The Apostle Paul said "Everything is permissible for me, but not all things are beneficial. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything" according to the Amplified Bible

Personally, I like the way Gerald May put it... “The freedom question then is not whether we can do whatever we want, but whether we can do what we most deeply want.”

How often do we trade our freedom to work towards that which we most deeply want, for the incessant demands of our immediate temporary wants?

“The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little.” - Thomas Merton.

Don’t settle. Dream big. What do you most deeply want? Do that!

Inspirational Quotes

Transcript

If I only had more time...

One of my clients said that there was so much they wanted to do... "if they only had more time!"

Time is actually one of the few things that everybody gets the same amount of every single day.

But Rob, you might say...

• I have a job...
• I have four kids at home...
• I have a business...
• I have employees to manage...

It is easy to look at someone else, and say that they have it easier, have more time to do what they want, or more freedom than us.

Firstly, I would say that we need to be very careful thinking like that. When we start to think "nobody understands how hard life is for me" we tread on dangerous ground.

It isn't helpful, and it isn't even true.

There are 7.8 billion people alive in the world today.

When you take 7.8 billion people, and all the other people who have lived throughout human history. There probably are or have been a lot of people who have faced very similar, or more difficult circumstances than us, and managed to get through it.

When we think we are the only ones to have faced such circumstances, and nobody understands what we are going through, it shows a lack of perspective, and a touch of narcissism.

When we look at someone else's job, business or life and think "Well, It is easier for them because they don't have to deal with..."

Maybe they don't, maybe they do have more resources, and maybe they have a whole other level of responsibilities, challenges, frustrations, and things to deal with that we just don't see from outside their life.

The guy working from home with no childcare and two kids at home has it tough.

The business owner who doesn't have Children but has 20 employees that depend on their business for a living has a whole other set of things to deal with that the stay-at-home parent does not.

The executive who has 200 people reporting to the managers that report directly to her has a different set of responsibilities and problems to deal with.

The independent consultant with three to five major clients has to juggle the demands and priorities from those clients who all want things when they want them - and they don't really care that he has other clients.

The one thing they all have in common is that each of them has only 168 hours in a week to do everything they need to do, and anything they want to do.

Often the difference between those who feel a total lack of freedom and personal agency, and those who feel comfortable, or those who feel free and vibrant in their lives comes down to beliefs, choices, and habits.

Viktor Frankl, psychologist, and former concentration camp prisoner, said that "Human Freedom is not a freedom from, but a freedom to"

When our circumstances are dire and we feel caged-in, we still have one last freedom.

According to Frankl...

“The last of the human freedoms: to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way. And there were always choices to make. Every day, every hour, offered the opportunity to make a decision, a decision which determined whether you would or would not submit to those powers which threatened to rob you of your very self, your inner freedom; which determined whether or not you become the plaything to circumstance, renouncing freedom and dignity...”

Or more concisely, "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."

Remember this. Be intentional about choosing your response.

Widen the space if you have to by counting to ten. Don't give up your power, your growth, your freedom easily.

You can do almost anything, but you cannot do everything. Variations on this theme have been said by David Allen, and many others.

The Apostle Paul said "Everything is permissible for me, but not all things are beneficial. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything" according to the Amplified Bible

Personally, I like the way Gerald May put it... “The freedom question then is not whether we can do whatever we want, but whether we can do what we most deeply want.”

How often do we trade our freedom to work towards that which we most deeply want, for the incessant demands of our immediate temporary wants?

“The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little.” - Thomas Merton.

You know...

When we were kids, we dared to dream big dreams. We wanted to do great things without being dragged down by the question of how. That often gets beaten out of us through life. We are told that we must only have SMART goals.

Our desires are fettered and diminished to what we think we can realistically achieve as a goal with our current knowledge and skill. None of the great achievements in history were SMART goals.

When Kennedy said we will go to the moon in this decade, it wasn't by any stretch of the imagination a SMART goal. Some of the alloys needed had not even been invented yet.

...but listen to his passion.

“We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.” – John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Let’s suspend SMART goals for a moment and lay aside all thoughts of how we will achieve the things we imagine. If you could wave a magic wand and make it happen, what is something that you would want in your professional life. In your business or your career.

Grab a pen, write it down!

Great! Don’t settle for the first thing that pops into your head. It is a magic wand after all. Give it another flick.

What else would you want?

What else?

Did you write it down? Good.

How about something that you would deeply want in your relationships?

Don't worry about how yet.

Flick that magic wand again.

What else...

What else...

Write it down!

What about something that you would deeply want in your health?

What would it look like if you were in the best shape you could be in 12 months from now.

Don't think about how you are going to get there.

How would you feel?

How much energy would you have?

What would you be able to do when you are in that good a shape?

How would that change your life?

Write it down!

OK, now that you have these things figured out Which one do you want most in each area? Or which one first? Write it down.

Remember - The freedom question is not whether we can do whatever we want, but whether we can do what we most deeply want.

Did you come up with something that you are excited about? Something worth committing to? If you want to be bold and put it out into the world, share it in the comments below.

Hey, if you liked this video or found it helpful, share it with someone else you think might like it or be interested in it.

And don't forget to subscribe and click all the things so that you don't miss out on future videos where I talk more about how to level up your performance, your motivation and vibrancy as you strive for that next level in business and in life.

This is Rob Christensen.

Live Fully, Work Passionately, and make it Mythic!