Ideas are just ideas WITHOUT COMMITMENT

Goals are simply goals WITHOUT ACTION

Dreams are just dreams WITHOUT EXECUTION

I’m down here in Bend, Oregon for a conference at the beautiful Sunriver Resort. Its 90 degrees + all weekend. They just got a new pool last year, there’s golf, trails, shops, and cool places to eat…one problem, my family is not with me. So what do I do when I have free time, alone?…I read about or watch YouTube videos of inspiring people. The old me, would probably go see a movie, dink around with my phone and all my social media apps, or binge on Netflix (with nobody to chill with…poor me).

For some reason, those things that I just listed do not fill me up like they used to. Since I started this blog I have been researching almost obsessively what causes success…looking for habits, traits, and philosophies of ordinary people who do extraordinary things.

One common denominator of people who have extreme success is they do more with their time.

I get it, after a long hard days work, putting out fires, grinding, commuting to and from work, dealing with people, you need time to decompress and disengage for a bit. TV is a great outlet, spending time with our loved ones in my opinion is the best outlet, and many of us turn to our phones to escape from the rat race of life. But for too many, this phone epidemic is getting a little out of hand (I haven’t even gotten into video games). From games, to various apps, to emails and text messages, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. There is a name for people who have a cell phone addiction…its called “nomophobia.” People create a neurological addiction, where they cannot be separated from there phones, laptops, iPads, or tablets…similar to craving cigarettes or alcohol.

My challenge to you is to invest in yourself 1.5 hours per day, 5 days a week. The weekends are all yours. I promise you, no one ever looks back on their life and says, “I wish I would have played Candy Crush or World of Warcraft more,” or “My life would have been a whole lot better if I spent more time on Instagram.” No one ever reflects and says, “If only I would have slept more, watched more TV, binged more shows on Netflix, or played more video games.”

Don’t be like this dude..get off the couch!

Here is how you can do a 180 degree turn that will set your goals and dreams in motion…it starts by carving out 1.5 hours per day, 5 days a week, which is 7.5 hours per week, 30 hours per month. Try this for six months and you’ll have invested 180 hours (hence the 180 degree transformation) into yourself.

Look at all your social media apps 3 times per day and that’s it: morning, afternoon, and once at night. That’s plenty of time to evaluate all your likes and commenting on post that make you smile.
When you come home, engage with your loved ones with no distractions: No TV, put the phones away, and do like they did in the 1950’s, talk and check in with each other.
Limit your “shows” to no more than 2: There’s nothing wrong with having a go-to show or two, but 10 is a liiiiitle too much.
Focus 1.5 hours of your time doing something productive: After you’ve engaged with your family, ate dinner, put the kids down, checked your phone for a few minutes, invest in your development.
The world is your oyster: during this time, read a book, learn a new skill, get inspired, listen to a podcast, practice your craft, write, meditate, exercise, call and talk to a mentor, finally turn your idea into a small business…there are so many possibilities for self improvement!

Feel like you you don’t have enough time to get everything done? Here’s a novel idea…wake up earlier! Take care of the most critical things you need to get done first, so you free yourself up to do what you want. Stop being like every one else who has a million excuses and isn’t happy with where they are in their life. Take action!

As each day passes, its a lost opportunity to get better. Live with no regrets!

We only have a finite number of days on this earth. Only God knows that number. Maximize each day! You and only you have the power to make daily decisions on how you spend your time…are you going to improve and get better or settle or get worse?

Make the decision today that you’ll wish you made 5, 10, 15 years from now.

So what area do you want to improve? What new skill do you want to develop? Turn your passion project into a reality. Finally create your side project into a legit small business. For you non entrepreneurs, learn to play the piano or guitar, improve your finances and knowledge in investing, write a book, or improve your fitness. Like I said, the world is your oyster. Commit to yourself 1.5 hours per day for 5 days a week for 6 months, and your life will take a 180 degree turn for the better. Set a goal, create a plan, and get after it!!! Breaking big things down into little chunks, makes what seems impossible, possible.

So how did I come up with 1.5 hours, 5 days a week for 6 months? Here’s how: Scientific research shows it takes 66 days to form a habit…so that takes up the first 2 months, just forming a habit of making time to invest in yourself. From there, you can further specialize or add multiple new skills to your repertoire. Josh Kaufman, author, blogger, and motivational speaker, says you can actually learn a new skill in 20 hours…not the 10,000 hour rule suggested by best selling author Malcolm Gladwell.

If you don’t invest in yourself, no one else will. 1.5 hours per day, 5 days a week, will allow you to do just that. Go for it! You will thank yourself in the future.