downIt’s day 3 of my yearlong quest to reach the million mark with half the effort and to be honest – I’ve been stretched to set boundaries in ways that have me really uncomfortable. For example, today I’m saying no to an opportunity anyone would give their right arm to have. It’s big, significant, filled with possibility and involves people I like. But, if we’re going to reach our goal of 7 figures in half the time, I can no longer say YES to great opportunities – I have to say yes to “unquestionable” opportunities.

As entrepreneurs our most valuable asset is time – mostly because it’s the only resource we can’t buy more of. Sure, we can build a team which is kind of like buying time, but in the end, the thing most precious to us are the minutes, hours and days and how we spend them.So the first “hidden gift” from my yearlong quest is that I’m becoming super curious (and careful) about where I invest my precious time. Perhaps a bit obsessively now, but I know I’ll level out and find a new relationship to time, projects and priorities.

Knowing YOU are also up to important things and that you too must find a new relationship to time, priorities and projects, I thought I would share a peek inside my journal – yesterday’s entry – which delved into this topic.

  • I listed all the projects we are currently committed to. Ones there was no turning back from.
  • I listed all the potential “in-house” projects my team and I have wanted to start. These are the “someday” projects we never quite get to.
  • I listed all the potential “outside” projects we’ve been asked to participate in, from co-sponsoring an event to launching a new business.

Then, I looked at each one and asked these questions using a scale of 1 to 10. (1=Not So Much, 10=Hell Yes!)

  • How aligned with my purpose, strengths and talents is this project?
  • How well does this serve my 5 year business & life vision?
  • How much joy will this project bring me based on the people I’ll be playing with to make it happen?
  • How confident am I that I can make it a significant revenue generator for our company?
  • What is my soul – my intuition – telling me about this project?

While not an exact science by any stretch, this little exercise helps me get a read on where I should be spending my time. It shines a light on the “should” as well as the “desires” and strengthens my “No thank you” muscle when a difficult decision is at hand.

Perhaps you are also being pulled in too many directions. Maybe you’re giving your time to projects, people and tasks that you really shouldn’t. If so, take a little time to check in with a list of what’s possible and these five simple questions which will shed the light on all you need to know.

Jane Deuber is an internationally known business strategist, author and speaker, who for 29 years has built seven successful businesses and helped thousands of entrepreneurs do the same. To discover where you can shift to accelerate your bottom line success, click here to take the  Business Acceleration Quiz. In addition to receiving your “Report of Findings” you’ll also receive powerful next steps for growing your business. Email us at: janed@janedeuber.com.