I Don’t Have Enough Time??

The biggest deterrent I hear to starting a new business, writing a new book, becoming an expert in one area, or moving up the ladder of achievement in any way is – “I don’t have enough time.” 

I just got the Nov/Dec issue of The Futurist magazine.  In an article on How Americans Spend Their Time it reports a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics survey.  Among other findings it shows:

Watching television remains the single most common and most time-consuming leisure activity among Americans.  Both men and women spend an average of 2.6 hours per day surfing channels from the couch.

Holy Moley!  2.6 hours a day.  What are these people thinking?  That’s 18.2 hours a week, 78.8 hours a month, or 949 hours a year.  A typical work week only accounts for 2000 hours a year – so we’re talking about almost half as much time spent watching TV!  You know what you could learn and accomplish in that same amount of time?

I’m convinced a person could take that TV time, read a great business book every week, spend 4-5 hours focused on developing a new business, 30 minutes a day in quiet meditation that would explode their creativity, and still catch 10 minutes of daily news on TV.  In 90 days that person would have clarity about their passion, purpose and calling, in six months they could put themselves in the top 3% in income, and after one year would look back in amazement that they waited so long to release the meaning, fulfillment and prosperity that was there all along.