Saying “I don’t have time” is just another way of saying “it’s not a priority.”
Whatever you’re talking about that you “don’t have enough time for” is not important enough yet, otherwise you would make time for it. A lot of people say that they “want” something (a better body, a healthier mindset, to start a business, write a book, etc.), but they don’t invest the time and effort to do what is necessary to achieve what they want. You may wish that you have those things/you’ve done those things, but you don’t want it badly enough to actually go do it.
“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” – Jim Rohn
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein.
Albert Einstein has been attributed with saying, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” I don’t know the context in which he was speaking, but that’s almost irrelevant, as the statement applies to nearly every situation.
Whenever you encounter difficulties/challenges/obstacles/hardships, whenever you are frustrated by something, there is an opportunity for you to improve yourself or to improve the situation. It’s like when you hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up. Sure, most people aren’t at rock bottom, so the situation could possibly get worse as well, but if you are cognizant of your surroundings, your mindset, and the actions you are taking (or not taking), you can usually find a way to make things better.
Another way to think of it (especially when it comes to frustration at work) is that if it was easy to correct, everyone would do it and the solution would be devalued. Your worth to an employer would decrease, because if they could pay a teenage kid with no education in that specific field to do it at a cheaper cost, they would. Or if the data could be plugged into an algorithm and a robot could use artificial intelligence to solve the problem, you would be out of a job. So, the next time you get irritated by your work not going as smoothly as you want, follow these simple steps…
First, try to figure out what went wrong then stop doing that. Where did things go south? Was it something within your control? Then do something different. Was it something someone else did? See if you can walk alongside them and work through the issue with them so it doesn’t happen again.
Second, develop systems/standard operating procedures so next time a situation like that occurs, there is a manual for you (or someone on your team) to refer to without wasting too much brain power. Tweak this as you get more information and follow the results.
Third, be thankful that your work can be challenging. Humans need to overcome challenges to feel satisfied. If it wasn’t challenging and you were bored out of your mind every day, you would eventually hate your job. And remember, if your job doesn’t require skill, you are expendable to the next cheapest laborer.
To summarize, use challenges as a learning experience of how to NOT do something, or if it causes enough pain/frustration to you and others, then work to capitalize on that by creating a better answer. Solve the problem to not only help yourself, but to help others too. The more people you help, the more you will be compensated. (This is what Matthew McConaughey recently discussed on The Tim Ferriss Show and The Joe Rogan Experience, referring to it as the egotistical utilitarian…Why shouldn’t you aim to do something that gets you what you want, but also helps others? That’s a win-win scenario.)
We all face obstacles in our lives, but how we choose to view them is the first step to overcoming them. Do you see this obstacle as your next challenge? Is it something else for you to defeat? Will this add to your life story (where you play the hero/victor)? Or is it more adversity happening to you. Do you let it get you down? (Are you playing the victim card?)
Everyone faces challenges in life. That’s just the way it is. And some people have the cards stacked against them way more than others. It’s not fair, but it is what it is. You have two choices. You can fight to overcome these challenges or you can be the victim and let them overcome you. Either way, the circumstances leading up to your decisions are the same. But the outcome can (and will) be very different.
You don’t have to ignore what has happened or is happening to you. That would be silly. But you don’t have to feed into the negativity either. Figure out how to make it better. Once you have a plan, follow through and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Just don’t confuse asking someone to help you with asking for a handout…you need to bring forth effort to get yourself out of the hole you’re in, regardless of how you got there.
Your thoughts determine your perception of life and the outcome of your successes and failures. Change your thoughts. Change your words. Change your actions. Change your life.
Not: I need to do this.
But instead: I want to this this.
Not: I have to do this.
But instead: I get to do this.
Not: I should have done that.
But instead: I could have done that.
Not: I didn’t have time to do that.
But instead: I didn’t prioritize my time to do that or I didn’t make time to do that.
Be the person who sets the tone by their actions, thinking proactively, instead of the person who is reactive to everything around them. The thermostat sets the temperature, while the thermometer tells you what the temperature is and has no influence over it.
Don’t let someone else set the temperature for you. You can only control so much in life, but some of the things you can control are what actions you take, your attitude when you take them, and how you respond to external events. Be more like the thermostat, not the thermometer.
