We’re all busy.
Seriously. If you have rent, a mortgage or any financial obligations, a job, a significant other and some small semblance of a social life, you’re busy. There’s little free time for anyone these days, especially at work.
Can I please finally put away this tiny violin for your sob story of how there’s no time for [insert productive activity here]? If ____ can do it, so can you, because ____ is pretty damn busy too.
Me
I love blogging, but truth be told, I don’t have as much time as I once did to do it. I wish I could write everyday. Maybe someday I will again…
I love to Tweet but I’m not able to be in front of Twitter as much as I’ve been able to in the past.
I am starting a new business and lucky for me, my incredible network of friends, former colleagues, clients, partners and industry peers have been looking out for my best interest and helping my business grow by keeping me “hella busy” chasing new opportunities. Every day is booked, start to finish. It’s true when entrepreneurs tell you that you will work MORE when you work for yourself.
So why do I lack sympathy for the sob story even as I admit that I lack the time to do what I know is important, that I love to do? How can I possibly tell you to quit your whining?
I remember how I got here
I got here by meeting people on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and live events. I got here by doing great work with my clients. I got here by blogging daily, and sharing my ideas and opinions about the industry in which I work. I got here by packing my schedule to the gills with face-to-face meetings to talk about what I’m passionate about. All of that effort has paid off and it wasn’t easy, though it was really fun.
What do you REALLY want?
Whatever the answer to that question is I’ll bet you this, it’s not easy. If you want to accomplish something big, it’s going to take brass balls, elbow grease and a duffel bag of moxie, but most of all it’s going to take time and effort. When I meet with a prospect and they say that they “just don’t have the time” to tweet or blog or meet new people on LinkedIn, all I can think is “BS!” I’m willing to bet that they do, it’s simply a matter of priorities. We all have a to-do list that takes more hours than there are in a day, but somehow, we get the important things done. When you can see the value in something, time magically appears for it. I may not have the time, but I still make the time. If you appendix burst right now in the middle of reading this, it would take priority, and you didn’t even plan for it.
So here are the questions:
- Is it a priority for you to know what people are saying about your company online? Do you care what they are saying to each other? Do you have ANY interest in influencing that conversation?
- Do you have any idea what people think about your customer service and is it a priority to find out?
- Is it a priority for you to beat your competition to the punch?
- Is it a priority for you to get more web traffic and more leads?
- Is it a priority for you to have a loyal customer base?
- Do you seriously think people are just waiting for you or your company to show up online and post something once every 3 weeks?
If you can’t muster up 15-20 minutes per day to do something positive for your business then you either have more business than you can handle, you’re scared or someone hasn’t made the value of those activities clear. In any case, I may not have sympathy but I can help.