Are you one of those people who when asked ‘How are you?’ you more often than not reply “BUSY”, with a sigh of frustration?

And you’ve likely been saying that same thing ALL YEAR, haven’t you?

And now we’ve hit December and you still really believe that you just don’t have enough time to do everything you want to do. It’s times fault you haven’t had your best year yet…..

Here’s the thing – life is all about choices.

You can either stay stuck in the ‘I don’t have enough time’ story you have created for your life….

OR you can make the time.

My top tip for creating more time the easy way:

For the next 7 days ban yourself from watching or listening to free webinars or podcasts, seriously why are you using your precious time watching what others are doing in their businesses when you could be using that time to work on YOUR business??!

I know it’s the truth because I used to do exactly the same thing.  I could waste weeks ‘learning’ stuff I didn’t really need to know!!

So, I had to make a choice, I could stay being average and falling for everyone’s marketing messages (cos that’s what you’re doing), or I could break free from the ‘I don’t have enough time’ story and instead show up as the business owner I desired to be.  The one who achieved her dreams instead of being the girl who listened to her excuses (and spent her time watching what everyone else was doing!).

The truth is – I had to let shit go. And it was hard – I’m not just talking about free webinars either.

As the saying goes – with every choice comes sacrifice.

If you’re feeling frustrated about not achieving your dreams – ‘YET’ – then it’s time for a big fat reality check.

Can you honestly, hand on heart say that you have given it your absolute best shot at building your empire (aka managing your time)?

Because if you have I salute you.

That means you managed to NOT get distracted by:

•  all the bright and shiny new ideas you get on a regular basis
•  ‘the book’ (Yep I’m talking mindless FB scrolling)
• Yet another free webinar which you don’t need (but you think you do)
• Cleaning the house (the ‘I’m obviously avoiding something aren’t I’ task??!)
• The fridge – yep my weight sure takes a hit when I’m in procrastination mode

Come on we all do it, waste time that is, yet we apparently ‘don’t have enough time’ to work towards our dreams.

(Ok secret squirrel moment – guess what that’s just fear showing up in disguise, you’re hiding behind those free webinars as that means you don’t have to go out there, make yourself visible (OMG) AND, scary stuff – ‘ask someone to pay you for doing your ‘thing’…!!)

I went to a networking event yesterday and the lady I sat next to called herself an ‘Opt-in slut’ (ha ha ha) because she keeps signing up to all the freebies out there.

Brilliant label – but not clever for an empire builder.

It’s time to show up lovely lady, show up and be the doer, the woman who achieves her dreams because she doesn’t listen to the excuses her mind is telling her about ‘not having enough time’.

There is enough time, if you want something enough you will find the time.

If you don’t then you’ll make excuses.

Here comes the confronting, emotional bit – it’s time to say no to something else in your life. You can’t do everything, and what that really means is you need to pick your top priorities and let everything else go (or outsource it but let some stuff go too it’s liberating). Scary, confronting but oh so worth it when you come out the other side.

So whilst I’m sat in a café in Perth’s CBD, surrounded by suits (that’s some good motivation right there to take some focused action!!) I thought I’d share a little bit about the journey I had to take in order to make my dreams a reality.

BTW – I get told almost daily how ‘lucky’ I am.

Yes, admittedly I’m currently ‘working from anywhere’ which right now happens to be Australia.  But there are LOTS of things missing from my life – it was about this time last year that I had some ‘choices’ to make, and it wasn’t easy but those choices got me to where I am now.  (I’m now a single girlie – we’re talking big lifestyle changes and sacrifices so don’t tell me ‘it’s easy for you’!)

It’s not ‘luck’ that got me here – I took the necessary action, made some tough choices and sacrifices and hustled my way towards my dreams which consequently finds me working from a café in central Perth writing this note to you.

Luck? Nope.

A choice and then some serious action taking? Yep.

Sacrifices? Big time.

Worth it?  Hell yeah.

When I say sacrifice I’m thinking smaller things rather than big old lifestyle changes that I had to do (it’s been quite a year!), maybe it’s time you let go of a client you shouldn’t still be working with – that kind of thing.  Scary things that will free up your time to do what you’re meant to be doing.  You know which client I’m on about too!! You only still work with them cos you like them, haha sack them, sack them!!

Sorry, I am going on a bit with this post aren’t I.  The reason being this post is a rant to me as much as it is to you!

Since hitting the road I have been really slack about committing to following my own ‘productivity system’, the one that ensures I keep moving forward, feel in control, have enough time for everything.

The one that allows me to just stay in the flow.

Instead, I have been plodding and quite honestly – I….hate….plodding with a passion.

It makes me feel really frustrated with myself. PLODDING AHHHHHHHHHHHHH someone please help me I appear to be plodding!!!

Luckily I’m pretty self-aware nowadays so I allowed myself a little slack but now I’m itching to be ‘on fire’ again.

So enough plodding, it’s time for me (and you if you’re joining me?) to make a choice and put our dreams top of the list again.  Make ‘US’ a priority (it’s not easy I get that, I’m battling that on a daily basis but I will persevere because I know what the alternative is and that’s not ok for me).

Life truly is about choices – the only thing that separates the dreamers from the doers, is that the doers show up, take focused action, they are what I term ‘purposefully productive’ and they persevere even when it’s not all slotting into place.

Are you a dreamer or a doer?  Make a choice RIGHT NOW to be the doer, and let’s ramp up this empire-building together.

What do you think?  Have you truly given it your all or are you still hiding behind the ‘I’m too busy and there isn’t enough time’ excuse??

Are you ready to become ‘purposefully productive’ and end the year on a massive high?

Here’s to letting go of the excuses and going for it anyway – just because we can. Come on 2015 I haven’t finished with you YET and neither have my friends!!

Wouldn’t it be fun to just go for it big time and see what happens??

Jo ‘making sacrifices to achieve my dreams’ Bendle

xx

PS the being told I’m lucky thing is partly my fault as I keep posting pics on Instagram of my current ‘office’!  Follow me @jo_bendle to compare pics!