The story goes that the song title Eight Days A Week by The Beatles was inspired by a chauffeur who drove Paul to John’s house. In fact, in the Beatles Anthology book, Sir Paul states: "I usually drove myself there, but the chauffeur drove me out that day and I said, 'How've you been?' – 'Oh, working hard,' he said, 'working eight days a week.'"

We all know there are 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, and I am sorry to say there are only seven days in a week. Time is finite. We must use it wisely. How often do you find yourself saying “If only I had more time I would X”, “I couldn’t do Y because I ran out of time”, or “I could Z but I don’t have the spare time”? In these instances, you can substitute X, Y and Z for anything you like. It could be, as an example, eating healthier, keeping fit, or spending time with family or friends. Modern life is a relentless slog, the hamster wheel continuously turning, and where we never seem to have enough time. But this doesn’t have to be the case.

Finite means “limited in size or extent” which suggests you cannot create more time. We can be more effective with time by prioritising enjoyable, engaging and exciting tasks and challenges. This will increase your productivity and allow you to concentrate on family, health and wellbeing.  

People often ask how I have the time to hold down a full-time job, be a Non-Executive Director for several organisations, support young people’s careers development, and keep a stable home life. The answer is I love what I do, by doing what I love, in all aspects of life. The industry I work in is exciting, and I feel privileged to support organisations through my work as a NED. A sense of community and giving back is at the heart of working with students, educators and businesses to deliver outcomes that create better prospects for our future workforce. And my brilliant wife is hugely supportive of everything I do.

I love everything I do because it is important to me, and this gives me a sense of control over my destiny. All aspects feel connected, and I can share learning across each area of my life. And it is these three things that not only inspire me but can inspire you and your teams.

Control – People need to feel autonomy over all aspects of their lives, including behaviour and action. If you have ever been micro-managed, think how claustrophobic it felt. 

Togetherness – People need a sense of community, that sense of belonging, and face to face interaction with others

Knowledge and Skills – Building competency in a task that is important to an individual leads to more effective use of their time.

Whenever a new challenge arrives at my door, I ask myself the following two questions.

1. Am I competent enough to do this? And
2. Is it something I want to do?

There are four possible outcomes.

Yes, Yes – Add it to my must-do list, as I am going to enjoy it

No, No – I delegate to someone with the right skills and who would want to do it

Yes, No – I have the skills but not the will, so I can teach someone else and delegate long term

No, Yes – I will improve my knowledge in this area, then add it to my must-do list or delegate

Next time you find yourself wishing you had more time to complete a task, ask yourself these two questions. And then act accordingly.

At Fuelled Fit and Fired Up our purpose is simple. We want to help you develop a healthy, successful, and sustainable business through being curious, honest, and connected to your team. Why don’t you contact us at info@fuelledfitandfiredup.com and see how we can help you create more time to do the important stuff.

David Rogers, Founder & CEO of Fuelled, Fit and Fired Up