IV. Master Your Time – Three Goal Focus

We’ve all heard the phrase “increasing income and reducing expenditure” tossed around when it comes to financial management. There’s an abundance of resources—books, YouTube channels, and gurus—offering advice on how to save money, invest money, and make money.

But when we shift our gaze towards “time,” another precious resource, we stumble upon a void. Time, much like money, is finite. We all get the same 24 hours in a day, 365 days in a year, and as we age, the years we have left decrease. Still, there isn’t a widely accepted strategy for managing time similar to the “increase income, reduce expenditure” mantra we apply to money.

Now, just imagine how liberating it would be if we could transpose this financial principle onto time management, putting those invaluable hours back into our “time” bank?

With this notion in mind, we’ve developed a unique approach known as the Time Flow System.

The Time Flow System borrows the strategic mindset from financial management and applies it to time management, essentially aiming to do 3 things to regain control and become the maestro of your own time:

1. Reclaim Time. Imagine you’ve accidentally spent some of your time on things that didn’t really matter—like an insurance claim, this is about getting that time back. It’s about recouping the hours lost due to misunderstandings or blind spots about your time use.
2. Save Time. Just as you’d allocate funds in a budget, you’re allocating time. This is about planning and prioritizing so that time doesn’t just slip away. It’s about learning smarter perspectives and strategies on how to spend your time effectively.
3. Make Time. Think of this as investing your time into beneficial habits. Just as financial investments snowball into significant returns, these good habits can compound, generating more quality time. This is about breaking free from your existing routines and transforming them into periods that are increasingly meaningful.

Let’s dive into each of these goals in detail.

1. Reclaim Time

In theory, we all have 24 hours a day at our disposal. Subtract 6-8 hours for sleep, and the remainder of the waking hours should be yours to do as you wish.

However, reality tells a different story. Your timeline isn’t wholly yours—you don’t have control over all the remaining 16-18 hours.

Various “time thieves” lie in wait.

Sometimes they take the form of distractions or procrastination, gobbling up your time without you realizing it.

Other times, they’re expectations or obligations you need to fulfill—children to feed, house chores to handle, extra work you’ve said yes to, or another social event you’ve agreed to attend. They all gnaw away at your day.

Then there are those moments when you’re simply low on energy, and you can’t seem to muster the strength to get anything done.

So how can you regain control over your time? The first step is to identify these time thieves. What’s stealing your time? How much time have you lost that should have been yours in the first place?

The ability to reclaim time begins with awareness and understanding of where your time actually goes. Only then can you begin the process of reclaiming your precious hours from the clutches of these time thieves. This is the first crucial step —because to reclaim your time is to reclaim your life.

2. Save Time

Have you ever wished you could speed up certain tasks, freeing up time for things you enjoy more?

Just as we save money to buy the things we love, we should save time to do the things we love or spend it with the people we care about.

If you don’t know how to save time, you could end up wasting extra energy, effort, and time on tasks that simply aren’t worth it. This means less time for more important things and people. It’s like overspending on something we don’t need, depleting our funds for the things we truly value.

By adopting smarter approaches to managing our time, we can maximize the hours in our day, ensuring we’re not only effective but also efficient.

Think about your own life. Where can you save time? Where can you make small changes that could yield big results? What tasks can you speed up, delegate, or even eliminate entirely?

In the Time Flow System, we delve into a collection of tactics and strategies designed to help you save time—just like putting money aside for a rainy day. It’s about using your hours more wisely, so that your time bank remains healthy and robust, and you can spend your time on the things and people you love.

3. Make Time

We’re all familiar with the idea of making money through investments—we invest our expertise at work in exchange for a salary, or we invest our money in stocks for potential gains. When it comes to making time, a similar principle applies.

To make time, we need to invest it wisely in things that will bring us leverage and lead to personal growth. This means consciously investing your time in activities that will lead to a positive transformation. It’s about recognizing that every minute is an opportunity for growth, and every hour is a chance for improvement.

Think of the things that help you grow and become a better version of yourself. It could be time set aside to build good habits or break bad ones. Maybe it’s carving out an hour each day to learn new skills or acquire knowledge that you can apply in life. This is how you make time—it’s investing your hours in pursuits that offer long-term benefits, that give you something back.

The Time Flow System guides you through this process, helping you to identify those areas where you can make time and see the biggest returns. It’s about taking a strategic approach to time investment, ensuring that every moment counts and leads to a richer, more fulfilling life.

In the end, to make time is to make the most of your life.

In a world where time seems to be in short supply, the Time Flow System shines a light on the possibilities of not only managing but truly mastering this finite resource.

By learning to Reclaim Time, Save Time, and Make Time, you can regain control of your days, your life, and your potential.

These aren’t mere concepts. The Time Flow System offers actionable strategies that can transform your relationship with time, giving you back the control to live a life filled with what truly matters to you.