In life, you have two choices. You can build a lifestyle or you can live a bullshit life, but you can't do both. Welcome to the “Freedom Lifestyle Experience”, where we focus on building the lifestyle you want—and now, here's your host, Michael Burns.
(00:16): Welcome back to the freedom lifestyle experience. I'm your host, Mike Burns hope you guys are having an awesome day. So I'm coming to you live from the home office. It's about 10 40 at night on Monday night, been a long day, but so we're leaving to Jamaica in the morning. I got a 6:00 AM flight key and I are going out there and I'm also taking my mom and her partner Lewis. We're gonna gonna go hang out for a week and just really looking forward to it. But as I'm getting ready to leave town for a week and just trying to get my together and just have everything as organized as possible. So I can, you know, semi check out and chill on this trip, getting ready. So do you guys ever notice whenever you're in a situation like I'm talking about how effective you are with getting all your done it's and it's because you've got a bunch to, to do, and you've got a compressed amount of time and you're highly motivated to get it done.
(01:06): So it doesn't affect your trip, you know, and you can get off onto a good start, low stress and just, just start to vacation or whatever it is. And even if you're not going on vacation, just where you have a compressed amount of time, and there's a deadline coming up, we are so much more effective and we're so better with our time. So as I've been going through that process over the weekend and today just doing exactly what I just talked about, I, you know, this was something that I was noticing of how much more effective I am and, you know, I've had the conversation with people before, but that's the topic of what I wanted to go over with today's podcast is just time management and being effecti of, and it's like, when you have times, like I've been going through this last day, or really starting since Thursday or Friday last week, and I'm operating under this illusion that I have compressed amount of time and a bunch of to do.
(01:56): So time is running out and it's somewhat limited. It forces us to be way more efficient or more aware. And we're just much more conscious of every minute in the day because you have limited minutes and it's like, I gotta get it done before I leave tomorrow. So that's what I wanted to talk about in this week's podcast is just time management and all of that. So as I've been thinking about this, as I'm going through the process of just doing what I'm doing and the idea of time and management, I've been thinking about it all day to day with knowing I needed to record this podcast. And I think, you know, the idea or the story that we tell ourselves is, oh, we just don't have enough time. I mean, think about how many times you've given that, excuse, and maybe it's not at the time, but just think about how many times in your life you've given the excuse.
(02:42): Like you don't have time, or how many times you've heard the excuse from somebody is like, oh, I just don't have time for that. And it's not that we don't have time. That's the biggest, I think that's the biggest lie that we all tell ourselves because I've got the same amount of time in the day that Elon Musk has. And Elon Musk has accomplished a lot more in this world than Mike Burns has, and we have the same amount of time. So that's just a story. And really, it's not that we don't have enough time it's that we don't have enough discipline and we don't have a plan that we're executing on and we're not keeping our priorities, priorities, you know? So in this example of when I I'm leaving town and I know I'm leaving town well, I'm being a lot more conscious of my time because it's limited.
(03:24): So I'm planning out my day and not only am I planning out my day based on priorities, but also if I know I'm gonna be out and about, you know, checking on properties, I gotta go to the chiropractor. I need to, you know, check on this deal to make sure it's ready for listing. I gotta go walk this deal over here. You know, all these different things that I have going on. So I'm planning out my day and I'm consciously aware of like, okay, I'm gonna be in this area. So while I'm in that area, let's make sure I, I do all the other that I need to do while I'm in that area. And then while I'm in between appointments, I'm on the phone, making phone calls, doing, handling my tag, ex handling my emails. I know that's not cool while I'm driving, but I'm a professional it's okay.
(04:04): But I'm, I'm going throughout the day. And I'm just, you know, I'm making adjustments on the fly as they come up and I'm just really owning my day and, and running the day. Well, so as I'm going through this process and just observing the way that I'm just way more calculated and, and time is just of the essence much more than on a regular day. It becomes really evident. Like, man, I could be so much more productive and I could be so much more effective with the way that I'm operating my everyday basis. And then I start thinking like, man, what if I started operating this way every day? And then I started compounding those efforts, you know, over a week, two weeks a month, you know, three, a quarter, six months a year. Like if I were to operate at a higher capacity, which clearly I have the ability to do, because I'm doing it right now, what would it look like if I, you know, I started thinking about that, what would it look like if I did this it for 90 days, six months, a year, three years, five years, it would completely change the trajectory of my life, my business and everything I'm doing because I'm seeing such a large difference of like what a normal day looks like.
(05:15): And I'm super efficient in a normal day. I'm very calculated with my time and, and you know, I do what a lot of the stuff that I, I just, you know, went over and I'm gonna talk about that in a minute. But even though that I'm pretty effective on a regular day, I'm seeing the heightened difference in what my potential and capability is based on the way that I'm operating right now. Because I feel that I have a limited amount of time and I gotta get this stuff done in that tight compressed timeframe. And I'm just doing it at a different level. So it's like if I start operating this like this way all the time, or even 80% of what I'm doing right now, it's gonna be absolutely crazy what the results are because I know based on the journey that I've taken to get here, the more that I grow and the more that my capacity expands, whether it's my mental capacity, my emotional capacity, my physical output capacity, like the more that I expand my capacity, the more I'm gonna grow.
(06:12): And like the expansion of, of my capacity is basically screw crucial for growth. So that's really exciting for me because I see I have so much more potential here and I can really expand my capacity. And when I couple that with the compound effect over time, it's undeniable, what the results are gonna look like because I have the history that I've run my life to today to see that my life today is a direct result of everything I've done in the past. So it's really exciting for me to, you know, almost tap into this new possibility of a way that I can conduct myself and know that there's capacity for growth there. So if I can start living my life this way and running my business and just my every day, the way that I have been the last few day, a it's gonna have a huge compounded effect.
(07:00): And really like, as I'm talking about this one thing that I love about the 75 hard program, and if you guys listen to the show, you know, I refer to 75 hard and I refer to RTE, syndicate and Mark Evans. And, you know, Albert pres auto Sean, what Sean Wayland, a lot of these different people that, that are mentors are of coaches. To me, I refer back to these things a lot because there's so many principles there that I learn, but the 75 hard program, if you guys are familiar with it, then you're familiar with it. But if you're not familiar with it, 75 hards, a program Andy Versace came up with, and a lot of times it gets mistaken for a workout program because there's a, you know, a lot of workout and health and fit this stuff there related, but it's actually a discipline program and allows you to, to basically structure your day and have your together because you're signing up to accomplish a lot there throughout the day.
(07:50): And then you're stacking it together for 75 days in a row. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, you basically have to work out twice a day. 45 minutes. Each one has to be outdoors. Gimme whatever workout you want. You gotta follow a diet for all 75 days. You need to drink a gallon of water every single day, no cheat meals, no alcohol read 10 pages of a book every single day and take a progress photo every single day. And when you listen to that, it sounds like, oh, this is a workout program, but really it's, it's a hard discipline program. You're doing the workouts and that's cool, but like the discipline of drinking, a gallon of water, the discipline of reading 10 pages every day, the discipline of doing something small, that doesn't seem like it would matter the progress photos, but actually when you get 30 days into the program and you have these progress photos, it's really cool to see day one next to day 30.
(08:42): Because if you're doing the program, you're having physical results that you can see. And for me, as I start to see results, whether it's in the gym or in business or whatever it is, whenever I start to see results, it gets me excited because I'm like, oh, my hard work is paying off. And then that's when momentum starts to show up. And, you know, I refer back to the compound effect a lot because the entire point and purpose of the compound effect is to show up daily and be disciplined daily. And then you start to compound that effect over time and you start to get the results. So that's one thing that I love about 75 hard when I've done that program multiple times is it just shows you how much more productive you can be throughout the day, because you've got all your regular stuff that you're doing.
(09:25): And then you're thrown in two workouts, you know, the gallon of water, the reading and the different things that you have to do. So you have to plan your day. You have to be calculated with your time because that whole of, oh, I don't have time that doesn't count on 75 hard. It doesn't matter how busy you are, how stacked your schedule is. Like, you can't tell yourself, you don't have time because if you miss any of the things on that program, you have to start over. If you want to complete it, or if you're being honest with yourself and actually doing it the way that you should be, it doesn't matter if you miss, if you read nine pages or you, you are an ounce short on your water, or you missed a photo, like you gotta restart. And the whole point of this program is hard discipline, but also maximizing your potential and winning the day, which ties back into everything.
(10:08): I'm talking about how it goes when you're leaving town or you have this compressed amount of time, you're so much more effective. So that's cool that we're talking about it, but I actually want to go through kind of my process of how I set up the day, how I identify what's important, where do I allocate my time to making adjustments, you know, on the fly throughout the day and just at the bottom bottom line, end of the day, keeping my priorities, priorities, and executing on that, to make sure that I get the done that needs to get done. So in all my studying and going to seminars and listening to different books and audio programs and being around elite performers and elite business people like I have with these different groups that I'm in, everybody's got a system, but everyone's, system's different. I'm an old school guy.
(10:55): I'm a pen and paper type of, I like to work from a list. I'm not a big technology guy. I literally am just in the last few months, really getting better at putting stuff on my actual calendar. Instead of just rolling from basically every day, I have a to-do list and I put a star next to the that's important. And I circle it. And if it's got a star next to it, it's important. If it's got a star with a circle, that's a big deal. I need to make sure I get that done. It's a top priority. That's pretty much how I go through my day. I'll ride out all the stuff that I need to do. So I kind of have this master list of the things that I'm working on that need to get done. And then after I identify all of that stuff, I go through and like, you know, what, what actually needs to get done this day.
(11:39): So then I'll sort it down to that's what needs to get done this day. And then I'll just have a separate list with like, this is a that I need to do, but this is a stuff that's a priority tomorrow and I'll get that all written out. And then I go through and kind of, you know, put it in chronological order, like, okay, I have a nine, I have a call at 9:00 AM with Tom to go over his refinance approval. You know? And then I got a follow up with Steve at 10 o'clock to go over the quotes on his refinance. You know, I've got a zoom call with RTA syndicate at 4:00 PM. And I got a listing appointment with a client at seven 30. So I'll have that stuff I've written in there. So those are my rocks. Those are my things that are scheduled that I can't, you know, they're set in stone.
(12:18): So I have that out. And then I just start writing in the other things that I need to get done. And like I said, I'll put a star next to the things that are important. I'll circle it if it's a top priority. So then I know the following day, cuz I do this at night, the day before. So the fall lowering day when I wake up, I've already got my plan. I, I I've identified what's a priority and what's important. Plus you know, the things that I have scheduled that are prior commitments that are there. And then now instead of waking up and like kind of, oh, you know, what do I got going on today? Like I wake up and I've already got my dialed out. So now all it comes down to is discipline in running the play and winning the day and following my plan.
(12:58): And like last week when I was talking about the preparation and you know, we had that guy come in, teaching us the trauma medical stuff. He was saying, when you have a plan that automatically increases your confidence, like you're more confident when you have a plan. So it's the same thing. Like I can be confident in my day because I've already done the preparation and I know what I got going on. It's on a sheet in front of me as I knock the things off, I cross it off and it's an old school system, but it's, what's worked for me and what's got me to where I'm at and probably what's gonna, you know, continue to be my, my process that I go through for the day. But the following day or when I wake up and I have my plan executed, I'm not spinning my wheels thinking like, oh, what should I be doing today?
(13:41): Or, oh, what's important. Or I don't waste time thinking about anything cuz it's already pre-planned and calculated in front of me. So I just execute on what I have to do right now. And then as things come up through the day can make adjustments with what's going on. But this way I'm able to keep my priorities, priorities and the stuff that has to get done. It's in front of me all day long and I don't always get the list done and there's stuff that, you know, has a star with a circle of it around it that I might not get to. And if that's the case, that's not good, but at least I've got this thing I'm working off of and I'm not spinning my wheels mentally thinking like, oh, what should I be doing? Or, you know, is there something that I'm forgetting or whatever it might be?
(14:23): I can just be focused. Another thing I really like about this system that I run outside of everything I just talked about, but it also gives me the ability to look at what I'm doing and what I'm spending my time on. And I can really look at it and kind of analyze it and ask myself like, are these things truly my priorities, like, is this the highest and best use of my time? Like, am I doing things like, do I need to be delegating more to my assistant or my team? Like, is everything on this list that I'm doing? Is it stuff that I need to be doing and going back to, you know, like trying to get ready to leave for a day when I've got all this going on, but I really need to zone in and focus on like, okay, this is a stuff that has to get done when I'm looking at those things.
(15:11): It's that I have to do. It's stuff that Mike has to do. It's not stuff that I can pass off to Laura, my assistant and our project manager and have her take care of or something that I can delegate in some way also. Is it something that needs to be done right now? Not only is it stuff that maybe I could delegate, but is it something that's really even important right now? Can it wait till next week? Can it wait till later in the week? So that's like I said, I really like that. I can, I can look at that. So as I go through this process, you know, it's a constant fine tuning and it's a constant refining and continually growing and making sure that I'm spending my time on the highest and best use of my time. And that's an ongoing process, you know, like as things grow and as the team grows and you know, I grow in business, I'm focused more on running the business than I am operating within the business.
(16:06): And that comes with time with having assistance and teams and systems and processes. But that's really the goal that I'm always trying to look at is how can I be more efficient with my time and continue to spend my time on the highest producing things. And that sounds a lot easier than it is to actually do so just continuing to get better and try to do more. And when you have these situation where we get in the flow of doing like our regular routine, right? So as we're doing our routine, normal becomes normal. So when you're in a situation that's not normal, it's it gives you something to stack your normal again. So when I get back from this trip and I get back into my normal, hopefully it's at a H capacity, but there's gonna be another time when I have the same situation coming up.
(16:57): I know I'm leaving town for a few days or whatever it is, and I gotta get a bunch of done. And it's gonna put me back into a situation to where I can compare and look at the results and the way that I conduct myself in a little bit more of a high pressure, high stress situation compared to what normal everyday looks like. And as I continue to go through that process and stay aware of it and conscious of it, that's where I have the opportunity to expand my capacity. And the more that we expand our capacity, the more that we're gonna grow, no matter what it is, time management, your work in the gym, your diet, your spiritual stuff, the more that you're expanding and growing your capacity, the more that you're gonna grow and the better that things are gonna get. Also probably the more problems and, and stuff that's gonna come up too.
(17:41): But that's all part of this expansion process that I'm talking about. So I want to, I want to shift gears a little bit in the conversation. And another thing that I've been thinking of, like, that's a funny thing with time and our relationship with time and how we respect it when we respect it. When we take it for granted, whenever you have a situation, you say a family member is, is sick or they're getting older. And you know, the reality starts to creep up that, Hey, they're not gonna be here forever, or there's a limited time on something. And I think about this with my dad be because it's probably the best example that I have, but it's like as he gets older and I see that his Health's not the best, it re really becomes top of mind. Like, you know, time's not forever.
(18:27): Like we don't have this unlimited amount of time. And also, you know, when the whole situation with my wife Kia happened and we found out about the brain tumor that she had when time is now threatened that it's not guaranteed or it's not promised, or you just, like I said, you can see that there's a winding down of the time. And, and the idea in the reality that time is limited, starts to set in. We start appreciating things differently and we start operating differently because now it's like something that we've perceived as limited and it's running out. So now our attention toward that thing is high because it's not gonna be there forever, or we don't think that it's going to be there forever. And just imagine like the way that you shift and you know, how like spending time or putting your attention towards that, whatever that thing is that, you know, is, is now coming to your reality as, as being a, you know, something that you're aware of and conscious of you start to appreciate the time towards that thing or towards like, you know, like say for the family member, whatever you, you appreciate the time with them.
(19:35): And not only that, but you put the time in, you make the time and you value the time because now it's this limited thing. And I just wanted a place, a thought. And the idea with you guys, that what if you lived your life that way, what if you lived your life with the idea that time is limited and it's running out every second that goes is running out. And if we all approach life that way, whether it's life or our business, or just our day, we would be so much more thankful and so much more aware of the precious time that we have. And as we're doing that, like again, the foundation of my message of taking personal accountability for any, any, and everything, and staying loyal to your potential, that's what it's gonna make you do, because you're gonna wanna maximize that time and use it at the highest and best use of however you see fit with that time in terms of, you know, your happiness, cuz that us what we're all here to do, we're here to love.
(20:33): We're here to, to grow. But at the end of the day, we want to be happy. So like we're not gonna be wasting our time. That's finite and running out on stupid. We're gonna be putting that time and effort towards something that's important to us and we're gonna be keeping our priorities priorities. So I really invite you guys to take that in. And you know, I know as I'm talking about it right now into the microphone, it's really hitting me and putting me in a space of gratitude and really just, you know, that's the way that I wanna live my life. So I appreciate you guys following the show. If you like the show, if you're learning from it, please leave me a review, tell a friend, share it, share it on social media. I wanna connect with you guys. On Instagram, I'm at Mr. Mike Burns and on Facebook I'm Mr. Michael Burns. I'm gonna start getting a YouTube channel rolling and probably start running some video on these podcast episodes. And just having a little bit more create content than the audio version. So anyways, guys, I appreciate ya. I want to connect with ya. If there's anything I can do to help hit me up, let me know I'm in the meantime, go build that lifestyle. We'll see you next week.
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