The University of Traffic

One of the most common complaints I hear for not beginning projects of value is, "I don't have any time." And many times it's a valid argument. I certainly don't want to be insensitive to the many hats we all where in our busy day-to-day lives.

But if there's one thing I've learned it's that successful people have a way of converting "shoulds" into "musts." They take inventory of how much something means to them and decide it will, however difficult, get done.

When I first moved to Los Angeles I spent several hours of my week stuck in traffic. Invariably, I'd grow agitated each time I thought about how much time I was losing. 

But when I made the slight adjustment to use that time to inform myself and turn gridlock traffic into the "University of Traffic," I slowly found other ways to utilize my time more productively, even when it seemed I didn't really have any options to do so.

You can find "pockets" where you might listen to an interesting podcast, or audiobook on the way to work, or while working out. 

You can also do something author, photographer, and high performance expert James Clear (http://jamesclear.com/) calls, "stacking." Maybe you do your laundry, while treating yourself to a Netflix show. This cuts down on wasted time and moves the needle forward in both tasks that need attending to and projects you're passionate about.

The best part is that you're building a muscle and conditioning yourself to optimize the time you have. You'll grow much more conscious of time wasted and look to find creative ways to invest in your development.