When someone mentions the word “currency”, it’s always associated with money.

Yes, money is important…

But this week I’m here to tell you that Time is the ONLY currency.

We all know we can’t buy any more time than 24 hours a day, no matter how rich you are.

So, logic says we must use it wisely.

The reason Jacki and I have a business is to earn money to BUY time.

As most of you know we lost our first daughter, Lou, 12 years ago next week.

So, we created a business to BUY us time.

At that point we didn’t know that Lily and James would enter our lives.  When they did, we were set.

When we think of time and look at ours, we come to realise …

That we can do anything, but we can’t do everything!

I always start my year with a clear plan of what time I have to do what we want as a family – business and personal.

The goals we have for now and the future MUST fit the time we have in the NOW.

And so, we must PLAN it and we do this by:

• Marking out the essentials – sleep, eat, exercise, relationship time, me time, holidays, etc.
• Planning out my commitments I have made either business or other (sports, kids).
• Allocating development time, which is time to enhance skills, knowledge for our business as well as personally.
• What is left is broken down into two areas: Money Now and Money Future…

Money Now is the work we do today to earn the money to buy the time we want today.

Money Future is the work we do to de-risk our business, so we have the right structure, strategy, systems, skills for the future to sustain / grow our business.  This provides the money for future projects and choices.

I then colour codeall those areas leaving no blanks and then all I have to do is turn up and do it!

It sounds simple (and it is) but it’s hard to stick to it.

The problem for most business owners is they don’t have 5 things:

1). The clear plans to achieve their goals.

2). The strategies to achieve the plans.

3). The life balance along the way.

4). The time allocated to execute the plans.

5). The integrity to keep to the above.

That is why most businesses are not working for their owners as in reality they own a job…

Here is my example, every day is different, but each day has the same theme.

Do you have yours? If not, please use your time wisely and start the process…

BW,

Martin

Martin Norbury

Investor | Business Mentor at Advocate | Author of I don’t work Fridays