Creating Time to Invest WHILE having a Family and/or W-2

By Christopher Levarek

You will never FIND TIME for anything. If you want time you must MAKE IT.

- Charles Buxton

Today we look at a topic which was something I myself had to work at and continue to do so. As a father of a now seventeen month old boy, a current full-time IT engineer in charge of a team for a top service provider in the financial space and co-owner/manager of a real estate investment firm, time is always a precious commodity. Surrounded by my peers, mentors, friends and family with their own goals, aspirations and dreams, I know I am not the only one well aware of the notion of time.

However, today I would like to talk not on the limitations of time but how one can change their view on time and actually create more of it. This might sound like nonsense to the reader. How could one create time? Time is finite right? Or is it?

Without diving into Einstein’s theory of relativity or debating any arguments on existentialism, this post is here to provide methods for creating more time in ones day. Creating more time in the day means increasing the likelihood of success on any endeavors to which this time is attributed. In my case, spending time on real estate or investment opportunities directly furthers my progress towards my financial goals and business aspirations.

Knowing that consistent action is the way towards an outcome, creating time to take consistent action is the next logical step. So how do we create time? Here is a 5 step process to creating time to focus on investing or any other endeavor:

stop

1) Stop and Step Back

The first “step” in creating more time throughout the day is to stop and step back to view the 24 hour day you are currently living. Look at the 24 hour period and truly examine what you are spending your day on. From the first moment you are awake in the morning to the final weary seconds you close your eyes at night, how do you live your day?

2) Write Down your Day

Now write it down. Take a Notepad and number 1-24 in the spaces with each line/number representing 1 hour. Write down your typical day. Be honest.

If you spend 30 minutes in the morning laying in bed after the alarm goes off or if you swipe your phone for 30 minutes of Facebook at night, write it down.

If you work a 8-9 hour day, what does that look like? What are those 8-9 hours spent on?

If you do chores around the house or take care of child, how long do you spend on each task? Write it down.

If you go shopping for groceries, read a book, watch a show, how long do you spend on each task? WRITE IT DOWN.

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3) Review Time Spent

Here is the fun part. Review what you’ve written down and look for two critical areas:

  1. Time: Non-Productive Activities

    1. Non-Productive means anything that is not of value to your family, career, goals or dreams. For example, if your goal is to be financially free in five years through real estate, some possible non-productive time spent might be:

      1. Sleeping an extra 45 minutes through the alarm in the morning

      2. Browsing Social Media throughout the day. The average individual spends 142 minutes on this per day, as of 2018.

      3. Watching TV. The average individual spends 238 minutes daily watching TV, as of 2018

      4. Spending time at the Bar/restaurant after work. Helping or hindering goals?

      5. Eating lunch with co-workers day after day. Helping or hindering goals?

  2. Time : The White Space

    1. This is what we like to refer to as “White Space” time. White Space time is the time spent on less critical-thinking activities throughout the day :

      1. doing the dishes

      2. brushing your teeth

      3. getting dressed

      4. driving in the car (somewhat critical-thinking, debatable depending on the driver…)

      5. mowing the lawn

      6. cooking food

      7. renovating or repairing around the house

4. Add up the Non-Productive time and White Space

Now add up all that time calculated spent on non-productive activities and what could be called “white space” time. Write down the sum total of the two together as one large sum. Additionally, write down the sum of each time category separated. Example:

  1. Sum Total of Time : 760 minutes

  2. Sum Total of Time, White Space : 250 minutes

  3. Sum Total of Time, Non-productive : 510 minutes

5. Time Block NEWLY Created Time

Congratulations, you have just created time to be better spent! Now, slot that discovered time for consistent action tasks that will further progress towards your goals of investing in real estate or reaching financial/business/personal goals.

Time block the now available categories:

  1. Block out Time, previously non-productive, for productive tasks to further goals:

    1. Journaling, Goal Setting, Reading, Exercising, Meditating/Reflection, etc.

    2. Analyzing properties

    3. Researching Investment Opportunities

    4. Networking for specific goals

    5. Educating on markets, industries, technologies, methodologies

    6. Call with a Mentor/Accountability Partner

    7. Reading on Real Estate related content

    8. Building a Website, Blog, Podcast, Social Platform for Marketing or Business Goals

    9. Emailing/Calling Brokers/Agents/Property Managers/Lenders

    10. Etc.

  2. Maximize “White Space” Time":

    1. Whether a podcast, audio book/cd, video, etc, maximize time utilization during these periods. Use these periods of availability to learn, grow and further knowledge in an area of choice which helps you on your journey to your goals. Download a book on Audible and play it while doing the dishes, mowing the lawn or getting ready for work. Before you know it, you will be a natural expert in the field of choice.

In Final

Now do it! We all have the ability to live to our potential and succeed at any set goal. Regardless of the amount of time we believe we have, there is always some way to maximize and achieve more in the time available. Invest Smart!

Chris LevarekValkere Investment Group