As Much As You Need to Be Available, You Also Need to Protect Your Time

In a recent conversation with a friend, we landed on the topic of time management. Our conversation seemed to focus around my coaching business, not because of the tips I’ve given to others or what advice that I’ve taken to heart myself, but why I started my business in the first place. Yes, I love people, and I want to help them achieve their dreams, but it’s not the entire reason that I needed to start my business. Part of the reason I began coaching people is because I had to protect my time.

I’m talking about the fact that as my blog audience grew to thousands of people, individual’s emails with questions that required tons of personal background information to answer grew exponentially. Of course, to gather enough information to give correct answers required a lot of time, so I decided to develop more shareable systems and place a monetary value on my time. I have a family at home and work that needs to be done, and if I’m answering emails 24/7, then my priorities get out of whack very quickly. Of course, I’m available to answer questions, but to build entire life plans and business plans for others is quite the project.

Anyway, I was fortunate enough to have my audience overwhelmingly tell me what business I needed to create by seeing the amount of answers they needed from me. Not everyone will experience this ease in finding a great business idea, but if you do, please capitalize on it.

But whatever you do, know that time is a gift and to do nothing with it is to throw away the biggest opportunity you have in your possession. When you protect your time, you accomplish more.