Time isn’t money

No, it’s far more precious than that.

There is this saying that time is money.

This may be true from an industrial production perspective or for you as an entrepreneur running a business where every minute seems to count.

But is that really true?

Whilst you can always go to an investor or a bank to get more money, or print more of it, as governments have been fanatically doing in the last years, no time bank can give you more time.

The uncomfortable truth is that every minute of your life that passes will never come back again.

So, you can see why time is the most precious thing you have and therefore it is a good idea to think about how and with whom you spend it.

Summer is typically when we can finally slow things down a little.

After a year of overloaded agendas, pressure, targets, and responsibilities, the summer holiday is the moment to take a step back and reconnect with yourself and the people that matter the most to you.

It is the time to discover new places and do exciting things which you otherwise wouldn’t do. A chance to live with that creative child-like joy and curiosity which fueled your imagination when you were little.

For many people, it takes up to three days just to unwind from all the hustle and bustle of their daily life before they come to a place where they start feeling relaxed.

And if you are responsible for running a business, stepping back is even more challenging.

For me, the summer is when I reflect, let the past months sink in, and plan for the rest of the year.

Because everything goes at a slower pace, I get more clarity on certain decisions I want to make or goals I want to set or habits I want to change.

I also love having my kids around the house a lot more (most of the time😁), so I get to have these small moments with them, or I can see or hear them having fun from my home office.

These quiet moments allow us to see more clearly what is truly important. And that is why taking time off, without feeling guilty about it, is necessary.

During the year, our actions are often directed from a place of negativity.

The fear of losing clients.

The anger about everything going wrong (which many entrepreneurs use as a driving factor for their business).

The guilt of not having made the right decisions.

The shame when things don’t turn out the way you planned.

This can make running your business/company a very stressful event, a wheel that never seems to stop turning.

What would it be like if, throughout the year, you would be able to have more of the clarity, connection and relaxation you are experiencing during your holiday?

So you can take your decisions made out of a place of trust and confidence instead of anger or fear.

So you can get rid of these clients that aren’t paying you, always coming up with excuses and causing you stress and negative feelings, without feeling guilty about it, because you think you need them (you don’t).

As an entrepreneur, you start with many ideals and dreams, and your hard work made you successful. But along the way, you might have drifted away from why you started in the first place (freedom, having an impact, creating wealth, being creative and having fun ….).

And over time, your life changes, and so does how you want to allocate your time and resources.

When this happens, it can be a good idea to dig for the core of where you want to go and why you do what you do.

In my coaching for entrepreneurs, I use the Positive Intelligence framework to help my clients deal with the negative self-talk and saboteur-driven motivations, so they have the insights and techniques to handle their life and business with a more balanced approach.

This improves your relationship with yourself and others and gives you the clarity and confidence to shape a business that aligns with your values and goals.

I do this because I believe time isn’t money …

Time is life.

And every life is unique and precious.

I invite you to think about what you would do if you could re-design some parts of your life and business so you could use your time differently.

What would be the impact on the relationship with the people you love and care about?

How would that change the legacy you create?

Maybe the summer is a perfect moment to reflect on that a little.

Anyway, I hope you’re having a great summer!

Love,

Bart

PS: If you want to share some of your thoughts on this or would like to know more about what I do. Just send me a message, and we’ll set up a moment to talk.

PPS: I will not annoy you with sales pitches or anything, so in that sense, it is a risk-free conversation :-), but I love to hear what keeps you up at night.

#timeislife #positiveintelligence #businesscoaching #balancedbusiness #lifecoaching