Managing Our Time by Taking Care of the Little Things First

Joseph B. Wirthlin was impressed with the thought that "this life is made up of little things." The little things in life also seem to be some of the most important things in life. In Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin's talk, "Little Things Are Important", he states, 

"The question is not one of managing time, but one of managing ourselves with the time we have. Each minute is a little thing and yet, with respect to our personal productivity, to manage the minute is the secret of success."

Joseph B. Wirthlin also talks about important relationships that we need to cultivate. Nurturing these relationships will aid us in our success.

Relationship with yourself:
We need to take care of ourselves first, before business. We need to take the time and care to be healthy and exercise. When you look at successful entrepreneurs in the world you will see that they have habits of exercise. Apple's CEO Tim Cook wakes up at 4:30 or 5am and works out before work. Starbucks President, Michelle Gaas, for over 15 years now sets her alarm for 4:30am to go running. Successful people know how important it is to take care of yourself first. They know that by working out, they are providing themselves with the extra energy and strength they need to get through the rest of the day and all of their labors.

Relationship with others:
Maintaining strong relationships with others can be difficult when we are focused on the tasks at hand but we need to remember "the simple courtesies" of life that are so important in regards to our relationships. We all could do better to compliment others more, offer words of encouragement, serve in anyway we can, and send a welcoming smile their way. I'm sure we could also, all acquire a little more patience towards others. Sometimes people will do things that frustrate us, sometimes people can be slow or annoying, but we can't allow ourselves to get impatient. Elder Robert D. Hales says it wonderfully when he states,

"Too often we pray to have patience, but we want it right now."

We need to possess patience. I will continue to pray to have more patience, and although I may not become the most patient person overnight, if I continue to work on being patient, I will slowly become a more patient person and capable of being patient with all men, no matter what.

Relationship with God:
Our relationship with our Father in Heaven is one of the most important relationships that we need to maintain. We can establish and enhance this relationship by praying to our Father each and everyday. And then be inspired by Him by reading the scriptures. Doing these two things are the best way to start a day.

"A morning prayer and an early search in the scriptures to know what we should do for the Lord can set the course of a day. We can know which task, of all those we might choose, matters most to God and therefore to us. I have learned such a prayer is always answered if we ask and ponder with childlike submission, ready to act without delay to perform even the most humble service. On many days, doing what matters most will not be easy. It is not supposed to be. God’s purpose in creation was to let us prove ourselves."-Henry B. Eyring, "This Day", LDS General Conference April 2007

Managing our time in this crazy world is very difficult. I struggle focusing at times because of my ADHD and it only makes things more difficult for me but I know that as long as we keep our priorities in line, everything will fall into place. If we always put God first and the other little, important things in our life, God will help us to accomplish every needful think. A lot of the time we tend to over-schedule ourselves and there are many tasks throughout the day that are not quite as "needed".

"One of the characteristics of modern life seems to be that we are moving at an ever-increasing rate, regardless of turbulence or obstacles. Let’s be honest; it’s rather easy to be busy. We all can think up a list of tasks that will overwhelm our schedules. Some might even think that their self-worth depends on the length of their to-do list. They flood the open spaces in their time with lists of meetings and minutia—even during times of stress and fatigue. Because they unnecessarily complicate their lives, they often feel increased frustration, diminished joy, and too little sense of meaning in their lives. It is said that any virtue when taken to an extreme can become a vice. Overscheduling our days would certainly qualify for this. There comes a point where milestones can become millstones and ambitions, albatrosses around our necks."

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Of Things That Matter Most", LDS General Conference October 2010

God will help us accomplish the necessary tasks as long as we put Him first. He loves us and we need to love Him more than anything else. We need to make Him our highest priority and by so doing, we can align the rest of our priorities as needed, and be capable of more than we thought possible. 

"Our priorities are most visible in how we use our time. Someone has said, “Three things never come back—the spent arrow, the spoken word, and the lost opportunity.” We cannot recycle or save the time allotted to us each day. With time, we have only one opportunity for choice, and then it is gone forever."

-Dallin H. Oaks, "Focus and Priorities", LDS General Conference April 2001

The Start-up of You Book Review

I recently read The Start-up of You by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha and it has been one of the most insightful books I have ever read.  If that causes me to seem illiterate, that’s a shame. This book brought about principles that every individual should apply into their life whether they plan to start a company or not. I mean the book starts out saying that “all humans are entrepreneurs”.  They express that “all humans are entrepreneurs not because they should start companies but because the will to create is encoded in human DNA, and creation is the essence of entrepreneurship”. 

            Our world, our society, and our life around us are in a constant state of motion and change. We need to be able to adapt to those changes. According to the book, in order to “adapt to the challenges of professional life today, we need to rediscover our entrepreneurial instincts and use them to forge new sorts of careers”.  Entrepreneurs are not only capable, but always at the ready to adapt to change because they know “if you fail to adapt, no one is going to catch you when you fall”. This was one of the big principles touched upon in the book: Plan to Adapt. I love how it refers to your life as being in “Permanent Beta”. You should constantly be in a mode of bettering and improving. “We are all works in progress. Each day presents an opportunity to learn more, do more, be more, grow more in our lives and careers”.  In regards to adaptation, it refers to the plans needed in order to adapt. They refer to it as ABZ Planning and to them, “ABZ Planning isn’t something you do once early in your career. It’s a process as important for someone in their forties or fifties as for a newly minted college grad.”  ABZ stands for Plan A, what you are doing right now, Plan B, what you “pivot” to when you need to change your goal/route, and Plan Z is your fallback, also known as your lifeboat when all other plans fail. “There is no beginning, middle, or end to a career journey; no matter how old you are or at what stage, you will always be planning and adapting.”

Another principle referred to in the book, is the need to develop a competitive advantage. They mentioned three puzzle pieces that help make up that advantage: aspirations (your deepest wishes, goals, and vision), assets (what you have/know right now, both soft and hard assets), and market realities (the supply and demand for what you offer, relative to the competition); these puzzle pieces will fit together in different ways at different times in your life.  The book suggests that a good career plan accounts for the interaction of the three pieces and that those pieces are ever evolving and need to be analyzed regularly. In order to build a competitive advantage, it encompasses joining those three pieces at every career stage in life.

A major principle that the book vested in was the need for networks, and it’s not about having the biggest network, it’s about having the best network. Simply put, if you want to accelerate your career, you need the assistance and support of others. The book talks a lot about networking, how to build your network, how to strengthen your network, utilize your network, and how to navigate professional challenges with network intelligences. Having and maintaining a network is crucial in order to be successful in business. The tips given in the book can really be advantageous toward ones’ career.

One of the final principles from the book, that I haven’t mentioned yet, is the need to take intelligent risks. Risks seem to carry a bad omen about them, however you will find that risks are a perpetual part of life. So instead of fearing them, we need to be intelligent about them so that we can assess and manage them wisely and to our advantage. And the last principle that I almost forgot about is the urgency to pursue breakout opportunities as success begins with opportunities. These opportunities can be fleeting and we need to be able to recognize them and snatch them when they become available.

We were all born entrepreneurs, but that doesn’t ensure we will live like one. We live in a very competitive and quick-paced world and need to adapt to keep up. The book points out that the “You” in The Start-up of You is plural, as you grow as an individual - your network is what keeps you alive. This book has burned a deep motivation within me to build my network and give it the nourishing that it needs. I have been inspired to use my assets and aspirations to find my place in the world, a place where I can make a meaningful impact and show the world what I am worth. I will take the necessary risks, be wise in my endeavors, and push myself to the limit. I will live a life in “permanent beta” where I am ever progressing and do something that’s in line with my values and helps to make the world a better place.

Staying True to Yourself

Starting a business can be tough, running a business can be demanding. People will lie to you, people will cheat you, and rotten things will occur throughout your business life. No matter the trials that you face, you need to stay true to you. Don't let your integrity falter. If you make excuses and allow your integrity to be compromised in even the slightest way, you are allowing it to fracture entirely. You will make small excuses now but those excuses will only get bigger until you have fallen to the evil of the rest of the world. I love what was said about Ezra Taft Benson when he served for President Eisenhower. His integrity never floundered. "Elder Ezra Taft Benson was an Apostle when President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed him to serve in his Cabinet as Secretary of Agriculture. For eight years the press routinely battered Secretary Benson for his policies. But over time, he won the respect of even his opponents. A reporter for the New York Times explained why:

"He acts like a man whose conscience is always clear–his testimony today will be the same next week...or a year from now. He doesn’t have to remember what he said to an opposition Senator at their last meeting. This is a built-in ulcer-saving device not always found in Washington” (New York Times Magazine, 11 April 1954).

We need more honest people in this world. Not only is integrity a major component of a great business person, but risk taking is also an aspect of business that must be experienced. Those who are willing to take risks are a lot more passionate and hard-working in their business. They are the ones who will push the business and get it where it needs to be because their "skin is in the game". All successful business owners have to learn the art of taking risks, it's part of the game. You still need to be wise in your risk-taking, and take calculated risks. I was reading online about taking risks in business and came across this list on 

How to take calculated risks that will be successful:

1. Understand the value of risk in business

2. Stop overanalyzing

3. Identify the risks

4. Anticipate mistakes

5. Determine what you can afford to lose

6. Develop a detailed plan

7. Take the jump!

I love how Mark Zuckerberg said it when he noted,
"The biggest risk is not taking any risk."

Finding Your Calling

Determining our "calling" in life can be one of the most difficult tasks set before us. We should seek for a calling that uplifts, inspires, and is something we are passionate about. There were some great insights in Jeffery A. Thompson's talk, "What is Your Calling in Life":

"In fact, finding our calling in life involves the same process as discovering our spiritual gifts. Elder Robert D. Hales has provided some insight on this process:

To find the gifts we have been given, we must pray and fast. . . . I urge you each to discover your gifts and to seek after those that will bring direction to your life’s work and that will further the work of heaven. [Robert D. Hales, “Gifts of the Spirit,” Ensign,February 2002, 16]

If you exercise faith in the Lord, follow His spirit, and seek to amplify your gifts, you will be led gradually to a place where you are well equipped to serve. I have seen it happen over and over. I have a colleague, tremendously respected in his field, who became an auditor—not by long-term planning, but by a series of minor circumstances that led him gradually and unintentionally to his profession. He could never have predicted the fulfillment his career would give him. We usually can’t predict exactly where our gifts will lead us. But in retrospect, we will see the hand of the Lord leading us from door to door and opportunity to opportunity as we exercise and hone our spiritual gifts.

This principle is particularly important in today’s economy. We faculty are keenly aware of how challenging it is for our students to find jobs today. You cannot control the economy. As a result, there is a temptation to feel like a victim or to give in to despair. When you are negatively affected by unstable economic conditions, focus on your gifts, which are stable. You may have to take a job that is below your level of qualification. If so, perform the work with drive, and use your gifts to put your unique stamp on your contributions. Doing so will increase your chances of finding better employment later.

You may even suffer joblessness for a time. Research shows that unemployment can have a devastating long-term impact on self-confidence, on health, and on happiness. I submit that having a sense of calling is part of your inoculation against the vicissitudes of the job market. Know yourself. Know what your gifts are. And define yourself by your gifts—not by your lack of a job.

But is every day fun for them? Hardly. When zookeepers talked about their work as a calling, they spoke not just about satisfaction but also about sacrifice—caring for sick animals in the middle of the night, doing unsavory work, foregoing a comfortable living, and the list goes on. I learned something tremendously important from my study of zookeepers. For them, the pain and burdens and sacrifice were not threats to their sense of calling—they were part of it. The work was meaningful because of the trials and burdens. That is an important lesson. We can’t expect deep meaningfulness from our calling unless we are willing to assume its burdens as well.

If you find your calling leads you to work that is less than glamorous, take heed to what John Calvin said: “No task will be so sordid and base . . . that it will not shine and be reckoned very precious in God’s sight” (quoted in Hardy, The Fabric of This World, 90; also in John Calvin, The Institutes of the Christian Religion, ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles [Philadelphia: Westminster, 1960], 3.10.6, 725).

It is a heresy that work is meaningful only when it gives us status and esteem. When we work to impress or outshine others, we violate the Lord’s vision of work.

I also testify that, as with all important questions, when it comes to asking what our calling in life is, Jesus Christ is in the answer. The grace of Christ, that same power that helps us do things we otherwise couldn’t, is what will guide us to our callings and enable us to excel in them. You can call upon the grace of Christ to help you with your professional calling. In fact, He pleads with us to do so." ["What is Your Calling in Life", Jeffery A. Thompson]

Do not shortchange yourself when coming up with your calling, thinking that you aren't good enough for certain things. Don't underestimate yourself and your abilities. You're going to have people who will laugh and doubt you and your aspirations, but you can do amazing things. Seek after those lofty goals, stretch yourself to your limits, push yourself farther than you've ever gone before, and you will be surprised of what you are capable of. We are children of God, we are built after the creator, the greatest of us all. Our heritage is to do great things - we were made to. 

There are many steppingstones in life to get you to where you want to be. You need to have an 'end' in mind in order to know where you are going, that's one of the reasons why finding your calling in life is so important. 

"Choosing an end is not about limits, it is about setting priorities that allow you to accomplish as much as possible. It is about choosing how to spend your last minute in the day or your last dollar or your last bit of energy...Your steppingstones are not a rigid plan. Instead, they are a way of dealing with reality. Steppingstones allow you to develop a vision of your life, to test that theory against reality, to consider the knowledge you have gathered and then refine your world view and life plan for another test. People who only ponder life and never step out into the storm rarely accomplish anything. They run the risk of slipping into a delusional world. At the opposite end of the spectrum are people who charge ahead without the slightest idea of where they are heading or why. These people seldom find satisfaction or meaning in their progress...As long as you don't lose sight of your vision and values, you can make course corrections as you gain knowledge." ["Stars and Steppingstones", Jeff Sandefer].

The Start of a Journey

As I start on my journey as an entrepreneur, I hope that I can retain everything that I learn so that I can recall back to it in times of need. In order to do this, I have started this "Entrepreneur Diary" you could say. A place where I can post things that I am learning and how they may be applicable in the future.

As an entrepreneur, a lot of the time our focus can be on the monetary side of things. This can lead to dissatisfaction later in life. We need to do what we love, follow our passions, create a career around something we will enjoy doing for the rest of our lives that even if we don't make millions of dollars, it won't matter, because we are happy. At the start of my journey I am currently studying Web Design and Development and aiming towards my own business doing freelance work in Graphic Design, Web Design and Development, and hopefully one day App Design as well.

We are all children of God and we have incredible potential. President Gordon B. Hinckley helps to guide us. He expresses how we need to always be the best we can be, and do the best we can, and then, even though we be but ordinary people, we can do extraordinary things.