2. Time Isn’t Money
There is an old saying that time is money, but that’s not true at all. Time is way more valuable than money. Money is just a medium of exchange. Heck, we could use tiddlywinks as an exchange, but our time is exponentially more valuable than anything else in life.
Just like our societal trend to accumulate debt, some of us are way overspent. We need an intervention. Those who seek credit counseling are advised to first see where they’re spending the money, then create a budget, and—for goodness’ sake—cut the damn credit cards! We can do the same thing with our time. Create a simple audit of your activity and log your time each day. After a couple of weeks, see where you are spending it. Start thinking about where you want to invest and reinvest your time. And if you’re working eighty hours a week, cut the credit card—or time sheet if you will—and see what happens if you only work fiftyhours a week. If you get fired, you just freed up a bunch of time you can reinvest somewhere more fruitful.
Where am I investing my most valuable commodity—my time?
5. Move Past Your Mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes. NBA basketball players only make 75 percent of their free throws. The best PGA golfer averages less than two strokes better than the average of the entire tour. The best NFL quarterbacks only complete about two-thirds of their passes.
Great athletes are able to throw off their mistakes and continue to play. Also, they score when they need to and when they are under pressure. Make sure you shake off the mistakes and score when you need to.
Winston Churchill said, “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
What mistake(s) am I holding on to that I need to shed from my psyche?
7. Ask First, Listen Second, Speak Last
Many of us suffer from a terminal addiction to the sound of our own voices. A simple rule to break that addiction is to Ask First so you create space for others to talk. Listen Second to really hear what the other person is saying. Here’s the tricky part; before you move on to “speaking last” repeat steps one and two as many times as possible. Then, and only then, Speak Last. This simple process can break that unhealthy addiction to hearing our own voice.
Can I ask one more question before I speak?
9. Cash is King, Culture Trumps All
“Cash is King” is a common business axiom that means a business ultimately exists to generate cash. Without cash, you can’t invest, pay employees, buy inventory, etc.
Culture is what we talk about and how we talk about it. It’s the means of replicating the cash we generate. Work to build strong cultures by creating engaging conversations about the important matters of business. Make sure you are recruiting, selecting, and developing the people on your team that support that culture. Culture is not relegated to the executive suite. Every person, every team, every workgroup, every individual creates culture.
Don’t wait for others to create the culture you want. Create the culture you want.