Time is the ultimate currency, with one exception — you can’t make more.
Building an empire is about accruing money, but it’s also about having the freedom to invest your time in things you care about.
Wouldn't that be amazing — being able to build a life doing what you love?
Myth: Sometimes we think it’s easier to evade – or dodge – tasks, and we put them off thinking, “I don’t have time.”
Fact: When you dodge a task, you’re increasing your cognitive load and you probably don’t even notice.
Bluma Zeigarnik is a female scientist who, in the 1920s, discovered that unfinished items — or open loops — remain at the forefront of our minds. We repeat a task over and over like a broken record until the loop is closed.
In short, incomplete tasks create stress — even beyond the task itself.
The Zeigarnik Effect drives home the importance of doing the "under 2-minute" stuff, like opening your mail, immediately.
- Side note: Zeigarnik was an empire builder in her own right:
In early 20th Century Russia (later Soviet Union) Zeigarnik battled meningitis and a male-dominated educational system to create an empire in the field of psychology.
You can become a time billionaire - and lower your stress - by using four simple time management strategies.
The Four D's:
- Do
- Delete
- Defer or Delay
- Delegate
1. Do it: The 2-minute rule
No, this isn't about dropping food on the floor. If "it" can be done in two minutes or less, DO it now@
Examples: sort the mail, leave a voice message, set a task reminder, clear off your desk, do some stretches, hydrate... you get the idea.
2. Delete
As you practice the first rule, the next option is to DELETE — or ditch.
Too often, we keep ourselves busy organizing clutter when, in reality, we don't even need any of that stuff anymore.
The same applies to how you spend your day. Determine whether or not the commitments on your calendar and your to-do list still match your priorities? If not, it's time to DELETE those too!
3. Defer/Delay
Saying "no" can be one of the toughest things you do as an empire builder.
Sometimes, the answer is to DEFER or DELAY — especially when someone comes to you with a great idea.
No matter how exciting it seems, if the idea doesn’t align with your current quarterly or annual goals, "not now" is your proper response. Download our free 17 ways to say no to say yes for ideas on how to politely "delay" those requests.
4. Delegate
You are where you are in your career because you know how to get stuff done. Sometimes it's difficult to DELEGATE because you worry someone else won't do it your way.
You're exactly right. However...
To be a time or net-worth billionaire, you must learn to delegate.
Happy and successful time billionaires accept that others may do it differently. They know the work might not be done as well, but it gets done. Delegating gives you time to do what matters most to you.
You live a big life when you start investing time as the non-renewable currency it is.
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