Time Thieves by Jim Stovall

Photo by Morgan Housel on Unsplash

Throughout my 40-year business career, there has been a proliferation of books, videos, and training courses on the subject of time management. Any number of experts will take your attention, effort, and money to fulfill the mission of helping you to manage your time. Managing time is as absurd a concept as managing the weather. You can’t control the weather. At best, you can prepare by equipping yourself with an umbrella, a warm coat, or rain gear. Whether you prepare or not, the weather will do what it’s going to do, and whether or not you and I are organized or productive, there will always be 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, and seven days each week. 

Once we understand that we can’t control time, we face the ongoing challenge of controlling ourselves. Controlling how we utilize time is difficult because we are forever confronted with time thieves. These are the people, activities, and distractions that gobble up our minutes, hours, and days. 

It’s important to realize that you cannot judge what is an appropriate utilization of your time unless you have a specific objective and a definite goal. A goal is a dream with a time limit and an action plan. Without a deadline and a plan to reach your objective, you don’t have a goal; you simply have a wish. Once you’ve established a firm goal, you can then begin to control yourself and your efforts within the context of your daily schedule. Even after you’ve established a firm goal and an action plan of how to achieve it, the time thieves will not leave you alone. In fact, they may increase their efforts to distract you.  

“A goal is a dream with a time limit and an action plan.” —Jim Stovall 

As you go through your day today, set your goals, control your activities, and time will reward you. 

Today’s the day! 

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor). His latest book, coauthored with Greg S. Reid, is Passport to Success: Experience Next Level Living, now available wherever books are sold.

Patience and Procrastination by Jim Stovall

Photo by Ümit Bulut on Unsplash

Patience is a significant element of success, and procrastination is a significant element of failure. 

To an outside observer, patience and procrastination can look the same. The difference between patience and procrastination can be determined by whether you’re waiting on something or something is waiting on you.  

If you drive by a farm during the springtime and there appears to be no activity underway, it may be because the farmer has already planted and is patiently waiting for the next phase of his activity, or it could mean the farmer is procrastinating and avoiding the task of planting, which could endanger or ruin his crop.  

“The difference between patience and procrastination can be determined by whether you’re waiting on something or something is waiting on you.” 

I meet many aspiring entrepreneurs at speaking engagements, movie premieres, and book signings. When I inquire about their current project or next opportunity, they will often use platitudes such as, “I’m waiting for my ship to come in,” or “I’m waiting to get all my ducks in a row.” In reality, they never sent a ship out, and they’ve been waiting so long, their pier collapsed; and not only are their ducks not in a row, but they flew off or died of old age a long time ago.  

If you have a dream, a goal, or an ambition, it requires some activity today. I have written almost 1,000 weekly columns that are read by countless people around the world in newspapers, magazines, and online publications. I hope each column contains some useful advice or powerful principle, but without exception, every column—including this one—ends with the phrase “Today’s the day!”  

It doesn’t matter what you know now if you don’t do something today. Maybe it’s only a matter of studying something or meeting a key person, but you need to be doing something today. There will be days when your activity will involve patiently waiting for something you have done to develop or emerge into reality.  

If you have called an influential person to make a key contact, you may be patiently waiting for the person to call you back, or you may be afraid to make the call, so you are simply procrastinating. Patience is productive. Procrastination is useless. 

“Patience is productive. Procrastination is useless.” 

Patience involves celebrating the task you have done while waiting for the seed you have planted to grow. Procrastination involves avoiding what you know needs to be done, which makes a mockery of your passion, your goals, and your destiny.  

As you go through your day today, utilize patience and reject procrastination. 

Today’s the day!  

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor). This and other motivational pieces by Jim can be found in Wisdom for Winners Volume Three, an official publication of the Napoleon Hill Foundation. You can listen to the audiobook here on Audible

Just Say “No” by Jim Stovall

Photo by Gemma Evans on Unsplash

Unless we learn how to say “no” to the things that are wrong for us in our personal and professional lives, we won’t be able to say “yes” to the right things. Our lives are a constant struggle between the elements of time and money. Typically, we start out as young adults and have very little money but a lot of flexible time. Then, based on our efforts, later in life we often find ourselves with a lot of money and far less free time.  

Wealth and money bring choices in our lives. We can buy products that we hope will make our lives better and more convenient, or we can buy services that replace our efforts, resulting in us having more free time. Unfortunately, too often, we value our money more than our time. This is an unwise calculation because we can always acquire more money, but we are all allotted a finite amount of time each day, and we are allotted a finite number of days here on earth.  

If someone calls you on the phone or barges into your office unannounced, interrupting your workflow and wasting your time, you often overlook this as a normal part of your professional life. If that same person reached into your wallet and took twenty dollars of your money, you would stop them and make them give you your money back. While it’s prudent and proper to protect your money in this example, it’s far more important and productive to protect your time. 

Oprah Winfrey provided me with a great time management lesson that has had an impact on both my personal and professional life. Years ago, when I started having a bit of success as an author, speaker, movie producer, and columnist, I began receiving invitations to speak at events, make appearances, and do book signings. Some of these offers made sense for me within the context of my professional goals, and others did not. I found myself creating excuses in the form of scheduling conflicts to turn down the offers that did not make sense for me.  

When someone called to ask if I could be at their event on Tuesday the 27th, I might reply, “Oh, I’m sorry I have another event that night.” In my mind, I was saying, “No, thank you.” Oprah helped me to understand that in the mind of the person inviting me to be a part of their event, they heard my excuse as, “I would agree to do it, but I’m already booked for that date and time.” I found myself being trapped into doing events I really didn’t want to do because promoters were willing to move the date and time of their event to avoid my conflict. Oprah gave me the simple, straightforward, and profound answer to any request that doesn’t fit my goals and objectives. Instead of coming up with elaborate conflicts and excuses, I have found it much better to simply respond by saying, “I’m sorry, that’s not going to work for me.” 

This simple but straightforward response can save you a lot of time and avoid potential embarrassment as you strive to fill your calendar with activities that move you toward your personal and professional goals.  

As you go through your day today, manage your money and protect your time. 

Today’s the day! 

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books, including the Wisdom for Winners series. His most recent book, a collaboration with the Napoleon Hill Foundation, is Dear Napoleon: The Living Legacy of Napoleon Hill and Think and Grow Rich, which collects the stories of real people whose lives have been altered by the work and wisdom of Napoleon Hill. Jim Stovall is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor).

The Importance of a Good Morning Routine by Jennifer Janechek

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash 

When COVID hit and the schools moved online, I found myself trying to homeschool my then-four-year-old while working from home. This was difficult on its own, but the emotional weight of navigating my own fears and anxieties while managing my children’s concerns, while taking care of a home, while preparing nutritive meals, while performing well at my job, while trying to find time for self-care, while trying to locate Lysol wipes, paper towels, burrito shells, and English muffins (the items that disappeared from the shelves were often quite random)—the list goes on—often felt debilitating. Speaking with other working parents, I recognize that my experience was not unique. Stresses about the economy, our children’s well-being, and our productivity colored every day, making it difficult to manage everything on our plate. People without children struggled too. The level of overwhelm and uncertainty was intense.  

In an effort to frontload my work, I stopped using my morning time—my time alone before everyone else in the house gets up—for self-care out and started trying to pack in more work time. When I experienced burnout, I began wasting the first portion of my morning scrolling Instagram, consuming panic-inducing media, and “browser window shopping.” My mornings unraveled: soon there was very little “routine” in my routine. Everything felt like a haze, and I was drained by the time I began my workday in earnest. I knew I needed to take back control, and it had to start with the way I used my mornings.  

The key to a successful, energizing day is a good morning routine. Not only does it set the tone for the entire day, but it creates physical and cognitive changes that ripple outward, giving you positive momentum. Below are some tips for setting yourself up for success with a life-giving morning routine: 

1. Exercise first thing in the morning.* 
   I used to exercise midday because it forced me to break up prolonged periods of sitting with some physical activity. However, for me, the risk that I would talk myself out of my workout exponentially increased over the course of the day. The benefits of working out in the morning are also hard to ignore. According to Healthline, “A 2019 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that morning exercise improves attention, visual learning, and decision-making.” Morning workouts also boost energy, strengthen focus, improve mood, support metabolic health, and enhance sleep quality. Bonus: if you work out immediately after waking up, your body (and mind) won’t know what you’re doing until it’s too late to talk yourself out of it. 
   * Always consult your doctor before starting or modifying an exercise routine. 

2. Write down your daily goals—but make them doable. 
   While you drink your morning coffee (or other beverage of choice), either before or after your workout, write down the action items you will accomplish that day. Don’t make the list overwhelming or unreasonable; list only the items you can realistically cross off. You might have a second list with all your tasks from which you draw to create your daily to-do list. But by writing down you goals for that day at the beginning of the morning, you will have a clear sense of purpose and direction that will focus your activities. Without this list, it becomes too easy to slip into non-priority items or to find yourself off-track and on social media. (Also, the feeling of joy that comes from crossing off to-do list items is almost as good as exercise-induced endorphins, amiright?) 

3. Limit caffeine and boost your water intake. 
   Caffeine can be a lifeline for the sleep-deprived, but it can also have the reverse effect: it can make you feel simultaneously lethargic and anxious. This is because the overconsumption of caffeine can actually cause fatigue at the same time that it stimulates your fight-or-flight response. According to Healthline, “If you stick to 400 mg of caffeine per day or less and go easy on the added sugar, you should reap the benefits of caffeine and avoid its drawbacks.” I found this to be true: my first cup of coffee revved me up, but a second cup actually brought me down (mood and energy levels). While I felt fatigue, I was on edge and experienced stronger emotions than I did when I had only one cup. An associated issue is that caffeine can cause dehydration, which also impacts energy levels and mood. Swapping that second cup of coffee with a big glass of water will ensure you feel better energized to tackle your day. 

4. Avoid toxic media. 
   Don’t read the news, scroll your social media feeds, or check your e-mail until you’ve completed your morning routine. It’s too easy to get sucked into the negativity and attention-demanding requests that threaten to derail your morning. Give yourself the space to gather your thoughts, take care of your health, and mindfully prepare for the day without allowing the toxicity that is out there to infiltrate your bubble and augment fear and stress. Mindfulness expert and celebrity hypnotist Ricky Kalmon offers a number of mindfulness audio guides through his app, and you can get access to an exclusive audio program within the app for free with your purchase of his new book, Leverage Your Mindset: Overcome Limiting Beliefs and Amplify Your Life! (His book also works incredibly well as a morning mentality primer, as principle #5 below recommends: Kalmon’s Leverage Your Mindset program helps you recalibrate your mindset and update it with constructive thoughts in only 10–15 minutes per day.) If you stick to your morning routine, you will be better able to combat the negativity that comes at you later on—and better equipped to sort through the problems thrown at you and discern which actually require your time and emotional investment.  

5. Read for personal growth. 
   Carve out 20 minutes to read a chapter of a book that will inspire personal growth and motivate you to achieve your goals—yes, goals!—even in the year we shall not name. It is possible to shift from surviving to thriving. One chapter a day—that’s all it takes to get your mind right, focused on gratitude, positivity, and the success that’s in store for you. Sound Wisdom has got you covered on this front. Check out our full list of publications for content that will inspire business development, transformative leadership, well-being, and peak performance. And be sure to subscribe to the Sound Wisdom Blog for weekly motivation delivered straight to your inbox! 

Commit to a morning routine that combines these elements, and you’ll start your day feeling excited and more in control—of your outcomes and your emotions.  

Jennifer Janechek is the director of content strategy for Sound Wisdom and the founder of Work–Home–Life, an online magazine and virtual community for remote and hybrid workers, freelancers, digital nomads, and entrepreneurs with home offices. She is also the host of The Sound Wisdom Podcast, which you can watch on the Sound Wisdom YouTube channel or listen to on Anchor or wherever you listen to podcasts!

The Jack-of-All-Trades by Jennifer Janechek

Trying to “do it all” is a form of procrastination that will delay your success. 

Perhaps one of the greatest obstacles to success is the human tendency to juggle too many tasks at once. So often we pride ourselves on our ability to multitask and “do it all.” However, what we neglect to realize is that in “doing it all,” we are really doing nothing substantive. We are merely treading water—distributing effort across a multitude of tasks, expending energy just to stay afloat. If we pause for a moment to consider the reality of our situation, we discover that we have not, in actuality, moved forward. We have made no progress; and yet, we are completely exhausted from wasting our energy on divergent aims. 

We are all familiar with the ills of procrastination on a small scale. We know it is counterproductive to whittle away our time by mindlessly scrolling social media apps, daydreaming, watching television, and engaging in other activities that prevent us from making progress on our goals (though our awareness of this often doesn’t translate into action). But we are less familiar with this other form of procrastination, which might be considered more pernicious because it does not at first glance appear to be a method of wasting time; on the contrary, it clothes itself in the guise of productivity. Trying to do too many things at once—to be good at everything—makes us appear successful by virtue of our busyness: we juggle so much; surely, we must be getting somewhere! And yet, what of value are we accomplishing? In reality, we are delaying our success by wasting time and energy on efforts that do not support our primary goal—what Napoleon Hill called our “definite chief aim” or “definite major purpose.” 

Hill recognized how detrimental our inability to align our efforts with a definite chief aim is to our potential for success. After all, one of the thirty major causes of failure he identifies in Think and Grow Rich is attempting to be successful at too many different pursuits. As he writes, “The ‘jack-of-all-trades’ seldom is good at any. Concentrate your efforts on one DEFINITE CHIEF AIM.” In Napoleon Hill’s Power of Positive Action, we likewise are instructed to “direct our limited energies to what we want to achieve and not dissipate them on things of no consequence.… By focusing on what we want to achieve or do that will create a lasting impact, we are directing our energies to what is truly important to us.” 

How much more could we achieve if we evaluated all our commitments and weeded out those that are not moving us toward our definite chief aim? Of course, sometimes we must perform a role or task that is not directly related to our definite chief aim if it is necessary to the maintenance of health or security, e.g., working a job unrelated to our desired profession in order to support our family. However, even this should be reframed as supporting our progress because it is a means of ensuring that our basic needs are met. I am talking more about our tendency to overcommit ourselves, taking on roles and activities that do not align with our desired outcome. For example: Do you really need to volunteer for that board position? Does this freelancing opportunity support your professional goals or take away time that could be used for deepening your knowledge and skill set in the area you most want to pursue? Which “side hustle” could drive your success if you pursued it wholeheartedly, and which ones are serving as distractions from your chief desire? 

Hill explains in Napoleon Hill’s Gold Standard that “the man who controls his own mind may control everything else that gets in his way.” And as he acknowledges, no form of controlled attention is more important than that which is directed toward one’s definite major purpose. 

So today, take inventory of your commitments—everything that requires your time, energy, or attention. How do these tasks, roles, and responsibilities align with your definite chief aim? 

If they do not, or if you are unsure, the first step is to clearly define your definite chief aim. Without a thoroughly defined goal, you will continue to waste energy on pursuits that lack direction. In his speech “What I Learned from Analyzing Ten Thousand People,” transcribed and printed in Napoleon Hill’s Greatest Speeches, Hill recommends the following: 

Make a practice of concentrating upon matters pertaining to a single interest, and you will become absorbed in it as an ideal. You will acquire a standard by which to appraise the value to you of the facts of your life. 

Make a practice of concentrating upon a single interest, and you will acquire a constant and completely “possessing” and automatic inhibitory power. You will without thinking refrain from many useless activities. You will refrain from indulgence in pleasures and recreations that would interfere with the accomplishment of your main purpose. 

Clarify your definite major purpose, and begin today to consistently envision the realization of it so that all your thought processes align with your desired outcome. By doing so, you will be better equipped to discern which activities will bring you closer to your chief desire and which will only distract you from it, and you will be able to eliminate from your life those unnecessary commitments that drain your time, energy, and attention. Imagine what you will be able to accomplish when you have renewed these resources and redirected them toward a single interest!  

In his or her versatility and constant occupation, the jack-of-all-trades might appear to be successful, but it is better to be great at one thing than to be mediocre at many things. Do not limit your success by merely “keeping busy.” Invest all your actions with purpose, and you will be amazed at the momentum you gain toward attaining what you desire most in life. 

Jennifer Janechek is the director of content strategy for Sound Wisdom and the founder of Work–Home–Life, an online magazine and virtual community for remote and hybrid workers, freelancers, digital nomads, and entrepreneurs with home offices. 

For the latest from the Napoleon Hill Collection, including free book and audiobook samples, visit this webpage. The latest in this collection is Think and Grow Rich in Ten Minutes a Day, which is available for preorder from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Porchlight Books, and other fine retailers. This succinct, engaging summary extracts the key principles, instructions, and stories from Hill’s original, unedited masterpiece and provides updated, relevant examples—in modernized, easily accessible language—so that all readers, regardless of how busy they are, can benefit from the timeless wisdom found in Hill’s book. Action items added to the original text will help readers expertly apply each chapter’s lessons. This title will be released by Sound Wisdom on November 17, 2020. 

Two Out of Three by Jim Stovall

One of the most questionable advertising, marketing, or promotional phrases is, “You can have it all.” You can have all of some things and more of other things, but you can’t have all of everything. 

Time, energy, and money are all finite resources. Wealth brings you choices, but the ability to choose “all of the above” doesn’t exist. I believe if you’re producing any product or service, your results can be fast, good, or cheap. You can pick two out of three, but you can’t have them all. If you want something fast and good, it will be expensive. If you want something fast and cheap, it will not be good.  

When you’re investing your money, you can invest for safety, liquidity, or return. There’s no right answer, and any of these goals will be appropriate for certain investors at various times of their lives; however, once again, you can’t have it all. If you want total safety, you will have to give up some liquidity and some return. If, on the other hand, you want the highest possible return, you will forego liquidity and safety; important decisions in your personal life, therefore, are not yes or no. They are top five or top ten type of decisions.  

We often overlook issues of health, family, spirituality, and well-being when we establish our priorities. All things being equal, more money is better than less money, but if you’re sacrificing your health or quality time with your loved ones for money, it is likely a poor bargain; we must, therefore, budget the things that are finite such as our time and money while prioritizing the elements of life that are infinite such as spirituality, well-being, and significance.  

A veteran airline pilot once told me that on a four-hour, coast-to-coast flight, we would be off-course at least three-and-one-half hours of the entire trip. Our lives are much the same way in that success involves a constant adjustment and precise management of all elements. We live in a high-definition movie environment, not a single-frame snapshot photo. The right priorities and percentages for me would likely be improper for you, and even if you have perfect balance today, it probably won’t fit for you next week, next month, or next year.  

Wisdom comes not only from making good decisions but in deciding how to decide. 

As you go through your day today, realize you can’t have it all, so get what matters most to you. 

Today’s the day! 

This and other motivational pieces by bestselling author Jim Stovall can be found in Wisdom for Winners Volume Three, an official publication of the Napoleon Hill Foundation

Five Ways to Free Up More of Your Time as a Small Business Owner by Jennifer Janechek

Far too often, small business owners find themselves in a position where they are spending more time working in their business than on it. They aren’t able to expand or develop their organization because they are losing too much time to the day-to-day tasks that should be delegated to other employees. They miss important family experiences because they have not automated their business operations. They feel like they are chained to their organization, unable to enjoy the freedom that should come along with owning your own business. 

What if there were a better way? 

There is—but it requires you to systematize the functioning of your organization. Below are five ways to streamline your business practices so that you are able to enjoy more free time as a small business owner.

1. Scrutinize your personal and organizational mission.

Everyone who starts or takes over a business has a vision for the future of his or her company. But oftentimes this idea is abstract in nature and never gets ironed out. Or, the owner’s goal shifts over time, and the language of the organizational mission is never revised to reflect this change. Without both a clear personal mission and a concrete organizational mission, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the mundane details of daily tasks and not make the larger moves necessary to improve your company’s efficiency and profitability. Take the time to spell out—in as detailed terms as possible—your personal goals as a business owner and the vision, mission, values, and beliefs of your organization.

2. Regularly analyze your current operations in the context of your business environment.

It’s common business practice to conduct SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunities, threats) analyses to monitor the performance of your company, though perhaps businesses conduct these less frequently than they should. And yet it’s easy to situate these analyses in the climate in which you started your business rather than the current business climate. Take the time to research the current environmental factors affecting your business so that your SWOT analyses give you accurate data about your company’s performance.

3. Establish make-or-break priorities and develop concrete plans for their implementation.

Make a list of the key issues affecting your business and then prioritize them. For the make-or-break priorities—those action items whose implementation or lack thereof will significantly impact your company’s operation—establish detailed plans for their realization and develop quantitative metrics for assessing the efficacy of these plans.

4. Dedicate time to hiring and developing the right employees.

The right employee in the right position can make all the difference in how a company (especially a small business) functions. To attract and retain the best talent, first outline the needs of your organization and then create positions based on these needs. Next, write detailed job descriptions (which should be periodically updated), determine the skill sets required, and then hire employees based on this data. Finally, structure plans for incentive compensation and employee development. Attention to individual development plans is especially important, as good employees will leave your organization if their talents are not encouraged and their growth not promoted. 

5. Create an outside board of advisors.

It can be difficult for the small business owner to identify his or her company’s needs and areas requiring attention. That’s why it’s important to have objective feedback, which is best provided by an outside board of advisors. Engaging a team of external advisors will help keep one’s company operating at optimum levels.

By implementing these changes, small business owners will make significant headway in systematizing their companies, with the end result being that they will free up more of their time to enjoy the fruits of their labor—within and outside of their organization.

For detailed advice about how best to approach these tasks, enroll in the WOW! Business Advisory e-learning course through Sound Wisdom Learning Academy. This online course will help you take your business to WOW! success by providing detailed instruction in the Five P System of Professional Management. Interested in the course but want to learn more before buying? Click here to claim your free e-book of Five P’s to a WOW! Business, which can be used on its own or in conjunction with the e-learning course.