A few weeks ago, I finished reading “Buy Back Your Time” by best-selling author Dan Martell. This book primarily serves as a guide to reclaiming your time and scaling your business, but I discovered that many of its concepts are applicable to our everyday lives. One chapter that particularly resonated with me (and excessively highlighted) was the one on the “Five Time Assassins.”
In “Buy Back Your Time,” Martell identifies these Five Time Assassins as the culprits behind wasted time:
- The Staller: This assassin thrives on hesitation and procrastination when it comes to making significant decisions. Often, imposter syndrome plays a role, causing you to miss out on opportunities by not acting promptly. Example: You receive an invitation to speak at an event, but imposter syndrome sets in, and you delay your response until it’s too late.
- The Speed Demon: Speed Demons make hasty decisions, opting for the quickest, easiest, or cheapest solutions, only to find themselves in a similar predicament later. Example: You hastily hire the first candidate who meets most of your requirements, only to realize a few months later that they aren’t a good fit, requiring additional time to find a replacement.
- The Supervisor: This assassin struggles to delegate and relinquish control, often micromanaging tasks due to a belief that no one can perform as effectively as they can. Example: As a project lead, you micromanage every task, inadvertently slowing down the project and spending more time than if you had done it yourself.
- The Saver: Savers are uncomfortable spending money, even when it has the potential to generate more revenue. Example: You have the funds to invest in online advertising that would attract new customers and ultimately cover the cost, but you hesitate and keep your money in savings.
- The Self-Medicator: This assassin seeks solace in food, alcohol, or other vices as rewards for success or escapes from failure or shame, hindering productivity. Example: After landing a major contract, you celebrate excessively, leading to a hangover and lost productivity the following day.
Bringing it Home:
Reflecting on your last ten significant decisions, you can identify patterns and assess which of these five assassins might be holding you back the most.
Once you’ve pinpointed them, here are some strategies to outsmart these assassins:
- Establish Time Guardrails: Set specific time limits for decision-making to prevent procrastination or rushing into choices.
- Delegate Low-Priority Tasks: Trust others to handle low-risk or low-priority tasks, even if they may not do it as perfectly as you would.
- Accountability Partner: Consider having an accountability partner who can help you make spending decisions wisely and keep celebrations in check to avoid derailing your productivity.
Recognizing what’s holding you back is the first step towards self-improvement. If you need assistance with this process, I would be delighted to help! You can book a coaching session with me here.
I also highly recommend Dan's book, Buy Back Your Time and if you get the audiobook, Dan narrates it himself!