Don’t Just Move: How To Bridge The Gap Between First And Second In Two Easy Steps
What are you waiting for?
Time’s ticking.
How long are you going to wait for that “something” to act.
With or without that feeling, what you want to achieve remains the same.
So, why wait?
Why fret?
Why deliberate?
Why waste time.
Just move.
C.S Lewis writes that,
“The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.”
When it comes to the future, it’s an equal playing field.
Everyone has the same amount of time.
No one can speed up, slow down, or rewind time.
It’s just you and your 60 minutes.
Sure, our circumstances may be different, but when it comes down to it:
What separates the greats from the not-so-greats is how you approach time.
Something as small as planning might seem meaningless, but cumulatively?
The effect is devastating.
Imagine this:
Take someone who doesn’t plan and one who does.
Let’s assume both people 1 and 2 are clones.
Their capacity to act, desires, and capabilities are identical.
The difference is planning.
What changes?
The future.
Person 1
Person 1 spent 20 minutes planning their day every day.
They outlined the five things they needed to finish each day.
Then they added three extra tasks that they could finish if they had time.
They also took some time to bullet point how they would approach each task.
Person 2
Person 2 got right into their day.
They were generally aware of the five things they needed to do and didn’t hesitate.
Although they’re clones.
The difference in what was achieved was significant.
Initially, Person 2 had a significant head start.
But as the day progressed, Person 1 quickly clawed back that time and built a sizeable gap.
Why?
Because planning manages your future time.
The time Person 1 spent thinking initially was traded in exchange for time wasted on thinking in the future.
How often, do we rely on what we feel like when we tackle our days?
How often, do we wait until we’re in the “mood”?
How much time do we waste thinking about how to approach a task?
Weighing up the pros and cons of starting now and later?
Deciding what the most important thing to do is?
Not to mention the things we forget to do.
All of that is wasted time.
Person 1 eliminated all the time they would’ve wasted thinking, fretting, and deliberating — DEAD TIME — and maximised every last second.
Notice,
Person 1 and Person 2 both did the same thing.
They understood that time was precious and that it had to be capitalised on.
They just moved.
Nothing more or less.
The difference lies in how they moved.
One looked at how best to use their 60 minutes, and the other was focused on making sure it was used.
So,
How do you spend your time?
Are you, like person 2, simply filling up the allotted time?
Which may be productive in comparison to wasted time.
But is it the best use of your time?
Have you ever taken time to consider how you should best use your time?
Think about the possibility.
If 20 minutes of planning can transform three hours into one and a half, what more could you do with your time?
Think about the freedom.
Waiting to be used.
Instead, you choose to suffer and “sacrifice” your personal time.
The choice is yours.
Whether you’re doing nothing or everything.
Don’t just move; move intentionally.
Time reaches the richest man in the world no quicker than you, the difference is what you do with that time.
Not just once.
Not twice.
Forever.
Don’t believe me?
Great.
Picture this:
Imagine there was no difference between Person 1 and Person 2 for five years.
Every single day, they put in the effort to take a step forward.
There’s no doubt that they would be successful.
But the difference is, how successful would they have ended up, comparatively?
The scary thing about time is those small gaps accumulate.
Let’s say that for every day, Person 1 achieved just 30 minutes more.
After five years:
That’s 54,750 minutes.
912.5 hours.
38 days.
Just because they planned.
And repeated planning.
They acted purposefully and iteratively.
Do you really believe they would’ve been equally successful?
Of course not.
And you will be Person 2.
The one who could’ve been.
Unless you employ the following two factors:
Step 1: Outline what must be done and what can be done. (Purpose Factor)
Your musts are what you do first.
But focusing on them isn’t enough.
What can we do right now, to complete the musts and make time for our wants?
That is the purpose factor — maximising your 60 minutes.
If 30 minutes are the difference between you and the best version of you.
How do we gain those extra 30 minutes?
How can you streamline your approach?
Where is your time wasted?
What isn’t necessary?
If it’s not what must be done and it can’t be done after the completion of your musts — DON’T DO IT.
Step 2: If it can’t be done repeatedly — REFINE IT. (Iterative Factor)
It means nothing if you can do something well once but can’t replicate it tomorrow.
If it’s too much for you to do it every single day, then you need to refine your plan.
What gives you the best results that you can do tirelessly?
What method addresses all of your musts with the least effort?
What can you do even when you’re sick?
Tired?
Demotivated?
In less than ideal circumstances?
How can we make time for our wants?
The answer to those questions is how you refine your approach.
Now do that every single day.
Those are the purpose and iterative factors — maintaining your maximised 60 minutes.
Don’t just move,
Move purposefully and iteratively.
LM
