There will always be time

Something really sounds frustrating. It is an excused which is used the world over by almost everyone. This saying goes "I'm sorry, but I just don't have the time. I'm busy." 

Chances are very good that you've heard someone in your own life say that. Either you've accepted it as an excuse and moved onto other activities or you've lingered over the excuse. Nothing is unreasonable with questioning it; if anything people who say this should often be questioned. Really? Why's that? How come? Are you so low on time you can't go on the computer, watch TV, or even cook a reasonable meal? 

Many of my friends have said this to me before. Most of the time I just forget about it and move on. Then there are the times when I reflect a bit more over the situation. Is John really studying straight through from sunrise until sunset? Is Jane really working so much, she cannot meet up for a coffee? 

Often, when people procrastinate, they hardly realise how much time is being wasted or squandered. I used to use the excuse of "I don't have time," but since I began University last year, that excuse has vanished. Of course time is available to spend time doing activities with friends, of course people are available to pursue their hobbies, even in very stressful panicky times. Here are a few examples.

Ultramarathon man Dean Karnazes used to work a 60 hour office job, in addition to raising a young family. Still he was able to run for hours at a time, without sacrificing his career or family time in the process. Steve Jobs, as busy as he used to be, still found time to go vacationing with his family. Lynley Smith, a women's water-polo player (and former ASU University student), sat six papers, had an internship and trained 20 hours a week for water-polo in her senior year. If anyone claims to be incapable of making time for those non-busy activities, I encourage them to use these three examples as a measuring stick. Suddenly, a lot more time will free up, even during those busy periods.

So are you really so busy, everything else is on hold? Or is there time which you just do not want to fill?

Sophie

There is a girl who I volunteer with at church called Sophie King. Although, four years my junior, speaking 4x more in a day than most people and still a school girl, there is something interesting about this young woman.

She has a charisma which I very seldom see in other people. It is not one which people use in a fabricated way to hide their insecurities. No, this charisma is a very genuine gregarious type, that not many people possess and few people can ever consistently carry. Many people tire of being so outgoing. Not Sophie King though. She thrives in environments where one needs to have an ability to win over the hearts of people very quickly. Perhaps more amazingly, her personality can maintain, grow and develop those friendships.

My sarcasm always seems to come out thick and fast when I'm around Sophie. Perhaps I'm inclined to do so, knowing that a rather amusing comment will be fired right back, done in typical Sophie fashion. She's good at taking a joke and is always quick to dish them back, whenever the opportunity arises. No person is more pleasant to joke with than Sophie. Sometimes it is hard to determine whether she is being serious or cracking a sly under the table joke only she is in about.

A few quick facts about Sophie King

She likes to joke around
She has named her phone
Likes to let you know her Tribe group, has beaten your one in the points competition
Goes to Macdonalds late at night or when she has nothing else to do. (Employment future there perhaps?)
Friend with the other legendary Year 7 leader Tammy Palm
Randomly visits the team leaders house.

Ladies and Gentlemen, that is Sophie King for you.

The width strains against the failing hate

The width strains against the failing hate

Look forward with confidence

There is nothing which increases your likelihood to be unable to complete a task than not believing in yourself. It happens all the time. For many years sports teams feared playing the top ranked team and were defeated before the game even took place. Job applicants going for high power positions walk in fearful of every micro assessment the interviewee makes on them. Tourists often cannot bungee jump because they are too afraid of what will go wrong.

Sometimes in life, those risks have to be taken. Do not be nervous or petrified or intimidated. Look forward with confidence. You'll be amazed at how much it'll help.

Carry some urgency because the last minute is too late

Last year I had a friend studying the same degree as me. What amazed me was generally how relaxed she was in her attitude toward studying. Thirty minutes at the most and she was having a break. Ten minutes here, twenty minutes there. I aimed for more prolonged study blocks, sometimes pushing three hours at a time. After comparing marks, let's just say she got the most sprinkles on top. By managing to simply chip away at her study and assignments, coupled with a gradual urgency to stay afloat, one shouldn't be surprised she finished top of the year.

Wake up and show the world you have that urgency. Never sit around and let the weight of a task overwhelm you. Chip away at it slowly and progressively. Within time, a task will come around where it isn't enough to say at the last minute "Why didn't I start that earlier." Put some urgency in your pockets. Don't lose motivation because of the time frame, be motivated that you can truly produce a masterful showcase with the seconds, hours and days available.

People often talk about having some urgency when you're on a brittle walkway. Spray the urgency button throughout your day; keep ahead of the pack. See it as a prerogative to outclassing competitors. Pushing out into the waters early enables you to be more according and shrewd as problems, enabling a more progressive time solving period, which advantages you far more than many people who sweep it under the rug, hoping it'll go unnoticed.

Carry that urgency. Sooner or later, the last minute job will topple over, whilst the early starter, who was full of urgency climbed up the ladder. I've taken my friends approach this year and can't see myself ever reverting back to the old method. Practice may not make perfect but it does make consistency. Consistency plus urgency plus an early start wins.

Don't be afraid of failure.

What's one thing which is holding you back from achieving your dreams or goals. It may be to write a book, get a romantic partner, create a product, make friends or trying out a new sport. Is it that voice in your head going "it's not going to work," lack of effort, or too much dreaming and not enough doing? Whatever it may be, don't let a fear of failure hold you back from pursuing your goals and dreams.

It's a humbling experience each time I've failed at something in life. It always is. Life isn't always a gift basket where you can take out something new to make you happy. It took me three years of mediocre school grades before I finally kicked into gear at university and worked tirelessly to maintain an adequate commitment to everything I'd welcomed through the door. Not all of these would have gotten so much care had my parents not informed me how the juggling act doesn't get hard until you surprise yourself. After failing to reach the distance the first time, I managed to successfully complete a marathon second time around. Failure to complete something which became my dreams, goals and life were not an option.

Sometimes in your life you will be dreaming up something grand, aspiring towards a goal, or thinking deeply on a facet of your life which you really want to break out into something new. How often does this happen with you? It may be from time to time or everyday. But there's a force field holding you back. A force field which sends you back into idle thinking. The force field of fear. So often we are scared to try something out in the fear we will be unsuccessful at it. The thought of having fingers pointed and "I told you so" can dangerously control our risk taking.

Don't ever let a fear of failure hold you back from trying out something, be it your goals, lifelong dreams, or anything. When you fail you learn. Mistakes must be made in life so that you know for next time how to go about achieving something in a smarter way. Failure pushes you over so you can get stronger each time you get up. If it's your dream to write a book then stick at it. If you fail to finish it, don't worry. You know for next time how you can write it all the way to the end. When a new sport is on your horizon, don't be discouraged if you cost your team the game; accept that you have failed in certain areas and train harder to correct the mistakes you made.

Failure makes us stronger, failure helps us to learn from mistakes, failure helps us realise that there's a lot of hard work ahead of us. It's important not to be afraid of failure. Make failure afraid of you.

Put the word HARD back into your life

Are there times when life feels too comfortable? You've got a cushy job, a nice house, a good family, great friends, not to mention many amazing appliances. The magic potion that's supposed to make you extremely happy... and you're miserable. You peel your life open and question where it is this misery began to exist but just can't pinpoint when it came about. Simple. It came about when you stopped encountering the word HARD.

One big mountain University hopefuls must climb over to be successful is that rut which is built up in them during high school to rebel against authority, party and just have a good time. Getting a degree can be enjoyable and the memories one builds up during that time are their most treasured but, the bottom line is, University is hard. Sacrifices have to be made, time must be put aside for study, and high school habits have to change. A few people don't want to experience the word "hard" in their life. Going down the wide easy highway, not a care in the world. Encourage those people; if you don't they'll look back at their life in regret and wander why those closest to them didn't warn them sooner.

I have an Uncle who, when he was younger had everything going for him. School prefect, top rugby player, great school grades and he's great with people. So much going for him. He joined the Army and served two years there. During that time he started smoking, dropped out of the Officer's course he was invited to sit. He worked as a waiter and coffee shop manager for a while but got fired often for turning up late and then arguing about it. Seeking easy riches, he gambled away a lot of his savings. Now he has nothing to his name and I'm heartbroken because he just lacks the motivation to get ahead. He has taken hard out of his life.

For that very reason, I'm chomping at the bit to make my life hard. Looking towards the future, I will do everything I can to enable my life to be difficult, to do hard things. As an ultra-endurance athlete my goal is to consistently find ways to push beyond normal and there is a certain threshold where my mind is falling on jagged rocks. How awesome it is to have that feeling; it's when I think to myself "this is achieving something, something very few people can do and even less want to do. Don't give up."

Don't be scared of the word hard. Instead, put your head down and remember what Winston Churchill said: "Never, never, never, never give up!"