6 Moments to Steal When You Have No Time

Starting a business isn’t really that hard.

It requires more time than you probable have between your day job, family, and any other responsibilities, which is what exaggerates how difficult it actually is to get started.

If you ask someone why they haven’t started that business they’ve been excited about yet, they’ll probably say something along the lines of the following:

I don’t have the time.

This is sad, because it’s usually not true.

If you’re having trouble finding the time to start your business, consider thinking about the free moments throughout your day that you might be able to spend differently.

1. Morning – Wake Up Early

An hour can go a long way in the morning for some people. If you’re like most aspiring business owners, you probably wake up as late as possible, rush through your morning routine, and speed off to work … only to arrive a few minutes. Try waking up earlier so you have time to squeeze in some work before you leave for your drive into work. Don’t rush it. Give yourself enough time to get into the creative mode you need to be in to get work done.

This won’t work for everyone, as everyone has their own inner-clock, but you can adjust your schedule to better accomodate an extra hour in the morning by simply going to bed earlier, eating less junk food, drinking more water, and exercising more.

2. Commute – Silent Focus

If you work across town, consider turning your music, radio, or podcasts off so you can think clearly. You’ll be amazed at how loud your thoughts become once you stop drowning them out. Explore your thoughts, jot them down if you need to, and think about your business. Organize your thinking task list if you need to, as you can easily become distracted from your original train of thought.

3. Lunch – Eat Alone

It’s important to connect with your co-workers, but you could steal close to an hour to dedicate to your business. Mix it up. Hang with your team at work a couple days and then escape to your own place where you can work alone a few days. I can’t express how helpful this is, but what I can say is that I wrote this post during my lunch break. Again, it’ll work for some but not others.

4. After Work – Don’t Go Home At 5

Just as many people go straight to the gym after work in order to prevent themselves from derailing off their fitness regiment, you should consider doing the same for your business. By not going home right after work, you’ll find that you can focus on your business. Swing into a coffee shop or a bookshop with your notebook or computer, and hustle.

5. Relaxation Time – Stop Watching TV

I think Gary Vaynerchuk crystalized this advice best:

Stop watching fucking Lost!

Obviously, that show has passed, but that’s not to say you’re not still spending hours and hours of your time after work sitting in front of the TV. Pull yourself away and focus on your business. You’ll find that you actually have a lot more time than you thought.

6. Night – Stay Up Laaaaaaaate

This certainly won’t work for everyone, but for the fellow night owls out there, push yourself to stay up later. Sure, you have to wake up for work tomorrow morning — that’s why you have an alarm. Now, bec careful with this — I don’t people coming back with the news they were fired for being late everyday. Know your limits.

When Else Might You Steal A Moment?

If you have other suggestions you use to steal time throughout the day, share them in the comments for others!

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