Protect your time. Don’t give it away!

by Carl Pullein

In 2011, Bonnie Ware, a palliative care nurse, published a book titled The Top Five Regrets Of The Dying. The book details the most common regrets patients in her care told her they had about the life they’d lived.

The number one regret was “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”

Are you living your life true to yourself?

Most people I talk to about their dreams, aspirations, and goals tell me they “don’t have enough time” to pursue them.

There’s too much work to do, emails and Microsoft Teams messages to respond to, projects to finish, and clients and bosses needing this or that.

Yet one regret not mentioned in Bonnie Ware’s book was “I wish I’d spent more time in the office.”

Your time is your most precious resource. You don’t know how much you have, but you know you will eventually run out of it.

The question is, what do you want to spend your time doing?

Time does not like a vacuum. It’s a constant. You will be doing something every second of the day. That could be sleeping, eating, scrolling through the news or your social media feeds, or watching TV.

If you do not know what you want to do with your time, you will end up doing something you probably don’t want to do.

Whatever you want time for, you will need to protect it. For example, if you want to learn to play the didgeridoo, set time aside for learning it. That could be two hours a week. If you don’t protect time, you will end up doing something else.

Once you know how much time you want to give to something, put it on your calendar. Then trust your calendar. It’s never going to lie to you. It shows your twenty-four hours, and you get to choose what to do with that time.

Then, if the cozy warmth of your sofa seduces you and that metal and glass device you carry with you everywhere tempts you into doing something you know deep down is not what you should be doing at that time, resist.

Muhammad Ali, arguably the best heavyweight boxer of all time, knew that he had to train hard to be a World Champion. He would wake up at 4:30 each morning and go for a six-mile run in heavy military boots.

It became a non-negotiable part of his day, yet he hated training. As Ali said:

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.”

If you want to live life on your terms, respect your time. Because if you do not respect your time, no one else will.

==========================================

YOUR TIME, YOUR WAY: Time Well Managed, Life Well Lived, by Carl Pullein

What if you could not just do more but do what truly matters? Carl Pullein’s Time Sector System is a revolutionary approach to redefining your relationship with time. With his new book, learn to:
• Prioritize tasks by importance, not urgency – what truly matters to you.
• Avoid common pitfalls – plan your day in a way that’s not overwhelming.
• Spend more time doing the things you love.
• Achieve your goals in a way that is easy and not stressful.
• Simplify your world with advice that is fresh, current, and positive, drawing from real-life examples.

CLICK HERE TO BUY PRINT OR KINDLE ON AMAZON.COM

We’re thrilled to announce that productivity expert and time management coach and #1 Global Time Management Carl Pullein’s highly acclaimed book “Your Time, Your Way” is now available as an audiobook, making it easier than ever to take control of your time, reduce stress, and build a system that works for you.

Whether you’re commuting, walking, or prefer to listen, this audiobook delivers Carl’s powerful time management strategies in a convenient and inspiring format.

Carl’s approach is not about forcing yourself into someone else’s productivity system—it’s about creating one that fits your goals, your energy, and your life. Listen to “Your Time, Your Way” today and start designing a time management system that works for you!