Time and again, I have been guilty of using time as an excuse for not doing things, and for procrastinating. If I had a dollar for each time somebody used the same excuse to me, I’d probably not be a rich man, but I would have a nice amount of extra cash in my bank!

These days, we prioritize everything, and the excuse: “I don’t have the time” is really just another way of saying “I do not wish to give that particular project, or person importance right now – it is not a high enough priority for me in my life”. If there is something that I do want to do, or feel that I must do then I make sure that I find the time for it, and make sure that it happens. Once again, it is all about priority.

There is an analogy that Stephen Covey uses in his teachings in the book “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and it is called “The Big Rock” principle. He uses an illustration of a stack of medium sized rocks and a pile of pebbles.

In the demonstration, he has somebody try and fill a container by putting in the small rocks and then squeezing in the larger rocks around them. The outcome is that the person is unable to fit all of the larger rocks into the container. However, when they try a second time by placing the larger rocks in first and then the smaller rocks, everything seems to fit, or at least the larger rocks, the ones that have been given a priority fit while some of the smaller pebbles are conveniently and deliberately left aside.

This is the perfect example of how prioritizing our life work. Objects, tasks and people with high priority, always need to be given the most importance.

If something is important to you then you will make it a big rock in your life and it will be prioritized above all the smaller things. I often encounter this when it comes to education or learning a new task. I have spoken to many people in my life and have suggested to them to read my eBook “Outsource Made Simple”. This book is about how you can expand your team and the hours that you work in a single week, and achieve much more than you already do.

So often, I get the excuse: “I just don’t have time to read your book”. If you understood the power and the potential of outsourcing then you would certainly make the single hour or so it would take to learn about it, a priority in your life.

Take the important and beneficial things in your life and make them a priority. Once you do this you will never have to use the excuse that you just don’t have time again. Prioritize your life and make things happen.