“I don’t have time.” How many times have you used these words to turn down amazing opportunities, like speaking at a summit, attending a big networking event, or hosting a joint webinar with another influencer in your niche?

Time is tight. You only have 24 hours in the day and no matter what Gary Vee says, you can’t hustle 24/7. You’ve got work to do. Children to take care of. Plus the whole business of eating, sleeping, and taking time off to rest and recharge your batteries.

When you’re invited to a networking event or to speak on a stage, no matter how exciting that opportunity is, you feel like you don’t have the time to take that on as well.

I totally get it.

AND YET…

What if “I don’t have time” is just another excuse your mind throws at you to keep you stuck in your comfort zone?

Let me tell you a story…

You Don’t Find Time. You Create Time.

When I first realised that coaching was my calling, I resisted the idea. I was already spread so thin. I was running a skin coaching business full time, taking on the odd freelance writing gig, and barely had any time left for my partner and friends.

The more I tried to ignore that desire, the stronger it grew. A year later, and busier than ever, I decided to dedicate the first hour of every day to start my coaching business.

There, I had found the time – without having to give up any of my other priorities. How did I make it happen?

❌ I didn’t magically stumble on a pocket of extra time.

❌ I didn’t wish and pray that some of my commitments would magically disappear on their own.

❌ I didn’t wait until I had the money to hire an assistant to take something off my plate.

✅ I decided this was a PRIORITY and CREATED the time for it.

Let me tell you what I mean:

Have you noticed how you always have time for the things you really want to do? You may say you don’t have time to speak at a summit, but you have time to go to that yoga class on the other side of town or watch an episode of Bridgerton every night before sleep.

You have the time. So what’s really holding you back?

Why “I Don’t Have Time” Is An Excuse

If you have the time to speak at that summit, write that book, attend that networking event, then why don’t you?

FEAR.

• What if I’m not good enough and everyone realises I’m a fraud?
• What if it’s too hard and I just don’t have what it takes to make it?
• What if mess it up and make a fool of myself in front of other people?
• What if I succeed and I’m not able to handle it?

“I don’t have time” is the perfect excuse. In a world where everyone wears busyness like a badge of honour, no one will question you for not having more time to take someone new on.

Now, you’re off the hook. You won’t have to do the thing that scares you. But you also won’t reach your goals. If this isn’t an option anymore, here’s how to ditch the excuses and create the time to go for your goals.

Related: How To Get Over Self-Doubt And Do That Thing You’ve Always Dreamed Of

*Affiliate links

How To Create The Time To Pursue Your Next Big Goal

1. What Do You Not Want To Feel?

I could give you all the best productivity and time-management techniques to find the time for everything you want to do. But, as long as fear is holding you back, they’re not going to work.

So let’s start here. When you think about speaking on that stage, writing that book, or whatever else it is you’re procrastinating on, what’s the fear that’s coming up for you?

• Is it being criticised by the audience?
• The rejection of no one buying your book?
• Being afraid money and success will turn you into a bad person?
• Not being worthy of speaking on stage with other successful influencers?

Whatever it is for you, this story is bringing up feelings (of rejection, unworthiness, not being good enough) that you don’t want to feel – and so you say no to the opportunity.

2. Release The Emotion

Now you know what you don’t want to feel, ask yourself: “When was the first time I felt like this?”

I’ll give you an example. I used to turn down public speaking opportunities. At school, I was bullied for being too smart and having all the right answers. That experience made me feel rejected and that it wasn’t safe to share how brilliant I was with the world. Going on stage meant showing to the world (or at least the audience) how brilliant I was.

Your brain uses your past to predict your future. If a similar experience had a negative outcome in the past and made you feel rejected/criticised/not good enough, your brain will store that emotional reaction in your memory.

Next time you’re about to do something similar, your brain will remind you of that emotion to get you to stop from the past repeating itself. How do you break through this?

The only way to break this pattern is to release the negative emotion that triggers it.

I share the full process in the Self-Sabotage Solution system, a proven system to break through your inner success blocks, so you can finally reach your big business and income goals without overwhelm. You’ll find it exclusively inside The Leadership Advantage membership. Click here to join us.

But I’ll give you this one tip to get started.

3. Take Aligned Action

These two steps are designed to manage your emotions and take you to a place where you can take action despite how you’re currently feeling about the opportunity.

But they’re not enough to reprogramme your mind. The emotion you don’t want to feel is triggered by a past event that led to a negative outcome. For your brain to stop triggering the alarm signal, you need to give it proof that you can have a similar experience with a positive outcome.

In other words, say yes to the opportunity that scares you and go all in. Ditch the rest. A lot of what you’re doing is just busy work anyway.

If you’re afraid of public speaking, say yes to speaking at a summit. If you’re scared of going into a different niche, start working on your rebranding. Stop doing everything else that doesn’t generate you money and bam, you’ve freed hundreds of hours every month.

But it starts with you making the choice to say yes to what you truly desire to do. All the time management tips won’t work if you don’t follow this process outlined here first.

Wrapping It Up

“I don’t have time” is just an excuse your brain creates to keep you stuck in your comfort zone. The key to break through it is to manage your emotions, so you can say yes to the opportunities that excite you and ditch busy work for good.

Liked it? Share it with a friend who needs to hear this too.