The video above is by Steven Pressfield.  He is the author of “The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles” a very readable book that I highly recommend.  The premise is getting past resistance by becoming a professional.  You may believe the book is about getting past writer’s block, but its real message is about living your potential.  I found it powerful and believe it should be read by anyone thinking of becoming an entrepreneur, artist, writer or otherwise engaged in the act of creation.

Like many entrepreneurs, you may be launching your business while you still have your day job. Until you have sufficient revenue to support both your business and yourself, working on your business is done whenever you can find time. Do not let this be an excuse for not moving forward!  Action leads to momentum and velocity to reach your business and personal goals.  I will continue to make action a theme in all I write as it is something I struggle with.

We all have obligations – besides paying the bills, we also need to invest time in our spouses, kids, and hopefully ourselves.  So how do we find time to do it all without becoming overwhelmed?  There are only so many hours in the day, so as entrepreneurs we have to use our time to our best advantage.

Early mornings are where we can all find an extra two hours to devote to our businesses.  That’s 10 hours a week to gain momentum.  After the chores are done and the kids have gone to bed, there are usually another 1 to 2 hours in the evening available.  That’s another 5 to 10 hours a week with weekends available for catchup time.

For me, Saturday mornings and evenings are devoted to the business.  Saturday afternoon are devoted to my family along with Sunday mornings.  I usually devote another 2 hours on Sunday evenings.  That’s a total of 25 to 30 hours to devote a business on a regular schedule.  There will also be time when you are working on a proposal or other projects that will need addition evening and weekend hours, but you can do this!  You may find that you actually enjoy seeing your business start to evolve and also enjoy your down time more especially when you realize how productive you’ve become.

The time we spend working toward our business goals will provide small successes that will help to keep us motivated.  As always, take action each and every day to keep your dreams alive.  When you want to sit on the couch or putter around, that is the evil presence of resistance.  When you have this feeling, it is time to fight and do something that will drive your business forward.

Somethings will no longer be on your daily schedule.  One of the primary activity you will not longer have time for is the great dream killer – television.  I’m not suggesting that you will never watch TV again, but when you do need to veg out (and we all do), it will probably only be for 2 or 3 hours a week rather than every day.

We can also use time to increase our knowledge. For example, I like to read or listen to pod-casts about entrepreneurship.  Pod-cast and audio books are a great way to learn while driving or waiting in traffic.

My advice is to place the following on your daily “to do” list:

1.  Spend time with your family

2.  Spend quite time to think and mediate

3.  Exercise

4. Work toward your dreams

5. Sleep 7 to 8 hours a night

Life is more satisfying when you have your priorities right.  We can have more control of our futures and relationships.  It’s time to turn pro!

With Love and Respect,

Gary